Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro faced US charges at a New York court on Monday, while the United Nations Security Council debates the legality of the US operation to capture him.
Mr Maduro was taken by American forces over the weekend, with US President Donald Trump leaving open the possibility of another incursion if Venezuela does not cooperate with US efforts to open up its oil industry and stop drug trafficking.
Oil companies will return to Venezuela and rebuild the country's petroleum industry, Mr Trump said.
Trump officials have portrayed Mr Maduro's seizure as a law-enforcement action to hold him accountable for criminal charges filed in 2020 that accuse him of narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Mr Maduro has pleaded not guilty.
Assistant Professor in the History of War at UCD, Edward Burke, told Behind the Story the US is facing tough questions at the UN about the operation to capture him.
"I think the problem for the United States at the Security Council today is that President Trump has given not just law enforcement reasons for doing this," he said.
"Trump has come out and said that this is about regime change, and this is also about seizing Venezuela’s oil reserves – and that certainly violates the UN charter".
Dr Burke believes neighbouring countries to Venezuela, such as Colombia, are "very alarmed".
"I think it’s a real area of concern because we’re moving into this much more anarchic world now, where it seems as if the United States does not believe international law will restrain its intelligence operations, or even military interventions," he said.
Dr Burke said Venezuela’s new leader, former vice president Delcy Rodríguez, is facing difficult choices.
"She’s in a really, really difficult position – not least because of the set up of power in Venezuela," he said.
"The military sort of really are in charge of the country’s economy; the military have penetrated when it comes to the various oil companies.
"Also, with help from the Cuban government, there’s been a sustained effort to ensure that the Venezuelan military is as coup-proof as possible.
"She’s got a very difficult balancing act to pursue here – it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out".
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