Mr Power suggested the operation may not have come as a surprise, saying there may have been “some acquiescence” and “obvious communication that may have taken place beforehand," which could have “led to a limitation on the damage done."

He described the move as “a sledgehammer to crack a nutshell”, arguing that it was “largely about politics” and designed to give “the MAGA faithful a clear win. It’s an easy win”.

Former Independent TD and former Army Ranger Cathal Berry agreed, saying, “there’s definitely a major political focus here.”

President Donald Trump: Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

He also pointed to US concerns about “the Chinese and the Russian influence in South America," noting that Washington is “very clear to their Monroe Doctrine that they’re in charge of the Western Hemisphere."

Comparing the events to past US interventions, Mr Berry said it was “a very similar operation to what happened in 1989 when the US went into Panama to seize Manuel Noriega."

Looking ahead, Mr Power said it was unclear whether Maduro’s capture was negotiated, questioning whether he had decided that “running meant he was always going to be running," or whether he would be “taken out of the scene completely."

Mr Berry said the focus now must be on what comes next, stressing that “the big question now is the transition of power from dictatorship to democracy and how that’s going to happen”.

He warned that while it appeared to be “a military victory”, it could be a moral defeat, adding that it “could open a Pandora’s box."

“The key question now is,” he said, “how do we move peacefully from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela?”