United States lawmakers from Michigan on Saturday were reacting to what President Trump called an "extraordinary military operation" carried out by U.S. armed forces in Venezuela.

Nicolás Maduro, former president of Venezuela, and his wife were "captured and flown out of the Country" as part of the operation, which Mr. Trump said involved "overwhelming military power" that involved service members in the air, on land and at sea. The military plane carrying Maduro was expected to land in New York on Saturday. He was expected to be turned over to federal authorities after the plane landed.

Mr. Trump on Saturday called Maduro an "illegitimate dictator" and alleged he "was the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the United States."   

In a news conference, the president said the U.S. will "run" Venezuela on a temporary basis.

"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Mr. Trump told reporters.  

Several Democratic members of the Michigan Delegation have condemned the strikes, and at least two Republican members have lauded it.

Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin on Saturday afternoon said the "decision to bomb targets in Venezuela, depose Nicolas Maduro, and 'run'" the country is a "trend of his presidency," which she detailed as focusing on "foreign entanglements" to distract from economic issues in the U.S. 

"So instead of action on health care costs or housing or energy bills, Americans get military action in Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and now a long-term engagement in Venezuela," Slotkin said in a post on X.

She added that Maduro is a "bad man" and that Venezuelans deserve better, "But we know that regime change isn't as simple as removing one leader."

Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, said the U.S. doesn't need to "drag itself" into a war and put service members in harm's way.

"There's no question Nicolas Maduro is a dictator and bad actor in the region, but that does not grant the Administration unilateral authority to wage war without Congressional authorization," Peters said.

He also asked the Trump administration to give Congress "and the American people" the legal justification for the operation, and how they plan to make sure it doesn't lead to the destabilization of the country and region. 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who represents Michigan's 12th Congressional District, said that the "bombing of Venezuela" and kidnapping of Maduro were illegal and "grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution."

"These are the actions of a rogue state. The American people do not want another regime change war abroad," Tlaib said on social media.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan's 6th Congressional District also called the military action illegal, and said the operation "sets a dangerous precedent for national sovereignty."

"We must recognize that Maduro's authoritarian government was illegitimate and oppressive, and that the president cannot unilaterally depose a foreign leader. The American people do not want another regime change war," Dingell said.

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan's 13th Congressional District, said Mr. Trump's actions were unconstitutional and that "the American people want us to focus on making life more affordable for them, not starting new wars."

Rep. John James, R-Michigan's 10th Congressional District, in response to the strikes, said he "voted for this." 

"For far too long, Nicolas Maduro was a terror to good conduct, destroying lives in Venezuela and helping kill hundreds of thousands of Americans through the fentanyl and drugs his regime enabled," James, without providing evidence, said in a video on X Saturday morning. "Today, a righteous authority stepped in and removed that evil without starting another war."

Republican Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan's 9th Congressional District on social media called Maduro a "narco-terrorist" and said that his "illegitimate regime floods our country with deadly drugs and Americans pay the price."

"President Trump didn't look the other way; he acted. That's what leadership looks like, and it's how you protect the American people," McClain said.

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan's 5th Congressional District, said Mr. Trump took "decisive action to crack down on drug trafficking and protect" communities from "deadly substances."

"I thank President Trump and the brave men and women who carried out a successful, targeted operation to bring Maduro into custody. We all know people who have been victims of Maduro's drug trafficking operation, and today marks a turn toward a brighter future for America and will serve as a strong deterrent against international criminal actors seeking to harm American citizens," Walberg said.

Many U.S. adversaries condemned the strikes on Saturday, while other governments around the world called for deescalation and shared concerns for their citizens in Venezuela. 

Mr. Trump said, "We are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so," saying the U.S. had assumed that a second wave would be necessary, but "now it's probably not."  

"The first attack was so successful, we probably don't have to do a second," he said.