Opponents of the American intervention in Venezuela have a good case that Trump acted outside of legal norms. The U.S., along with virtually every nation in the world, has ratified the United Nations Charter, which forbids “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” The charter provides exceptions only when nations act under “the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense” or participate in actions approved by the UN Security Council (of which the U.S. is a member and enjoys an absolute veto). These opponents argue that the attack was not covered under either of these exceptions, and that no attack on the United States, its personnel, or its assets was imminent—a circumstance that international legal authorities generally concede would permit the preemptive use of force in self-defense.