THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Trump administration’s capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has triggered widespread unease among diplomats, analysts, and world leaders, raising fears that long-standing international legal norms are being weakened in favor of a “might makes right” approach to global affairs.

The modern international legal order, built in the aftermath of two world wars to prevent unilateral military action and large-scale conflict, now appears under strain as Maduro was arraigned in a U.S. courtroom on Monday following his removal from power in Venezuela. The arrest unfolded near the United Nations headquarters in New York, a symbolic reminder of the global rules system now being openly questioned.

Addressing the U.N. Security Council, Undersecretary-General Rosemary A. DiCarlo stressed that “the maintenance of international peace and security depends on the continued commitment of all member states to adhere to all the provisions of the U.N. Charter.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted the operation was legal. His administration argues that drug cartels operating from Venezuela constitute unlawful combatants, placing the United States in an “armed conflict” with them, according to an internal administration memo obtained by The Associated Press. U.S. officials say Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, now face charges linked to an alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz defended the action as a “surgical law enforcement operation,” consistent with the administration’s National Security Strategy released last month, which prioritizes restoring “American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere” during Trump’s second term.

However, critics warn the operation could set a precedent for further unilateral interventions. Trump on Sunday also criticized Colombia and its leftist president, Gustavo Petro, accusing the country of fueling cocaine flows into the United States. The administration has already imposed sanctions on Petro, his family, and a senior official over alleged drug-trade links.

International reaction has been swift. Leaders and analysts from Europe, China, and Latin America condemned the Venezuela operation, with many warning it could further erode the global legal framework.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Maduro’s capture “runs counter to the principle of the non-use of force, which forms the basis of international law,” warning that repeated violations by permanent members of the U.N. Security Council could have grave consequences for global security.

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, described the operation as “a turn back to the era of lawlessness,” urging the Security Council to reject what he called the methods of U.S. military foreign policy. Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said while Russian President Vladimir Putin has long undermined international law, “Trump’s actions have continued this trend.”

Concerns in Europe have also been heightened by Trump’s renewed comments about Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory. Trump described the island as strategically vital and questioned Denmark’s ability to secure it, prompting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to state that the U.S. has “no right to annex” Greenland and to remind Washington of existing defense agreements that already grant broad U.S. access.

The Maduro operation has also fueled speculation about how shifting norms could affect flashpoints such as Taiwan. China recently conducted military drills around the island following U.S. arms-sale plans, though analysts say Beijing is unlikely to replicate Washington’s approach. China instead continues to pressure Taiwan through sustained military, political, and economic means. Beijing nonetheless condemned Maduro’s capture, calling it a “blatant use of force against a sovereign state.”

In the Middle East, critics point to the ongoing war in Gaza and the U.S. veto of ceasefire resolutions as further evidence of weakened multilateral enforcement. Trump has also shown readiness to confront Iran militarily, warning Tehran last week that the U.S. would intervene if protesters are violently suppressed. Iran’s foreign ministry has denounced the Venezuela operation as illegal.

The European Union, another pillar of the postwar international order, faces growing tension with Washington. While reaffirming that Maduro lacks political legitimacy, the EU emphasized that international law and the U.N. Charter must be upheld, particularly by Security Council members. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close Trump ally, took a different view, arguing that international rules no longer govern the decisions of major powers.

As debates intensify at the United Nations and beyond, the capture of Maduro has become a flashpoint in a broader struggle over whether global security will continue to be shaped by shared rules or by raw power.