No, Hakeem Jeffries Did Not Try to Tip off Venezuela About the Military Raid
Jeffries is calling for legislative action in response to the raid.
Published Jan. 5 2026, 10:13 a.m. ET
In the days since news first broke that the Trump administration had ordered a raid on Venezuela and had taken the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, into custody, there's been plenty of discussion about Trump's authorities and why Congress was not briefed ahead of time. Amidst all that chatter, there has also been speculation about whether Democrats knew more than they're saying prior to the raid.
One rumor suggests that Hakeem Jeffries actually tried to tip the Venezuelan government off about the raid ahead of time, but is that rumor actually true? Here's what we know.
Did Hakeem Jeffries contact Venezuela prior to the raid?
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that was meant to imitate the style of legitimate news, a claim began circulating from user @realpersonpltcs (who claimed he was citing a Newsmax story). The claim suggested that Jeffries had tried to interfere with the American operation in Venezuela. The post read:
Washington D.C. - January 3, 2026 In a triumphant display of President Trump's unyielding resolve for national security, the Department of National Intelligence (DNI) under Director Tulsi Gabbard has revealed CIA intelligence exposing a desperate Democratic attempt to sabotage a U.S. military operation. A brave whistleblower from within the DNI provided documents to CBS News, showing how Democratic leadership, traced back to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' office, tried to tip off Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro about an impending capture mission. However, the warning arrived moments too late, Maduro was already in U.S. custody, being flown away in a military helicopter after a flawless operation. President Trump's strategic appointment of Gabbard has been key in unearthing this treachery, proving once again his administration's prowess in neutralizing threats both foreign and domestic.
There is no secondary reporting to suggest that the claims in this post are true. What's more, you can tell that the post is not from a real news source because of the way it seems to be so openly fawning toward the administration. When Jeffries actually issued a statement about the strike, he didn't seem to be opposed to seizing Maduro, only to the ways in which the administration excluded Congress in the process.
Hakeem Jeffries says he was not notified of the raid until it was active.
In his own statement on the raid in Venezuela, Jeffries said that Trump was exceeding his constitutional authority.
"Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires. The Trump administration has not sought congressional authorization for the use of military force and has failed to properly notify Congress in advance of the operation in Venezuela."
There's no indication, then, that the post on X is true or that Jeffries notified Venezuela about the raid ahead of time. Instead, this was likely an effort to foment further isolation and generate clicks, but not one based on verified or factual information.