New york: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Trk warns that a recent United States military operation in Venezuela has undermined core principles of international law governing the prohibition of the use of force.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, in a message posted Tuesday on X, Trk stressed: 'The U.S. military operation in Venezuela undermines a fundamental principle of international law: States must not use force to pursue their territorial claims or political demands.'

The comments followed a dramatic escalation after months of tension between Washington and Caracas. In the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026, US forces launched a large-scale overnight operation in Venezuela, coinciding with the anniversary of the overthrow of Panama's Manuel Antonio Noriega. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were seized and transferred to the United States for trial.

Maduro and his wife appeared for the first time in a federal court in Manhattan on January 5, where they rejected all charges brought under an indictment issued by the administration of President Donald Trump. The next court session is scheduled for March 16.

The US action triggered widespread international reactions. At an emergency UN Security Council meeting, most members condemned the operation as a violation of Article 2 of the UN Charter and warned against normalizing regime change by force, and questioned its implications for international stability.