Hi there and welcome to meet the press now. I'm Ryan Nobles in Washington, where the fallout from the U.S. capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro continues to send shockwaves through the U.S. government and around the world.

With big questions remaining about who's in charge in Venezuela and what the U.S. is truly aiming to accomplish in the oil-rich country.

Today, while delivering remarks to House Republicans, the president received a standing ovation as he touted the success of the operation in Venezuela.

It was an amazing military feat that took place yesterday. I think of it.

An amazing military.

The people are saying, well, thank you.

The United States proved once again that we have the most powerful, most lethal, most sophisticated, and most fearsome.

It's a fearsome military on planet Earth, and it's not even close.

While President Trump highlighted the role the U.S. military played, his administration

maintains that this was not a military action requiring congressional authorization, but rather

a law enforcement operation to enforce an indictment against Maduro. Although the president

has also suggested it was about regaining access to Venezuela's oil reserves.

Administration officials were on Capitol Hill late yesterday to brief top lawmakers on Maduro's

capture. Reaction to that briefing, unsurprisingly falling along party lines, with Republicans

defending the president and Democrats sounding the alarm.

This is not a regime change.

This is a demand for change of behavior by a regime.

We don't expect troops on the ground.

We don't expect direct involvement in any other way beyond just coercing the new,

the interim government to get that going.

I did not receive any assurances that we would not try to do the same thing in other countries.

And in conclusion, when the United States engages in this kind of regime change and so-called nation building, it always ends up hurting the United States. I left the briefing feeling that it would again.

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