Arizona Leaders Divided US Military Raid, Maduro Arrest

Arizona’s congressional delegation was divided in response to the large-scale strike on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

While the consensus among Arizona’s elected officials is that Maduro is a “dictator” and a “thug,” reaction to the raid, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” fell along party lines and was swift:

Senator Mark Kelly:

The President of the United States just overthrew a foreign ruler and explained to the American people that this is about taking control of the oil reserves of a foreign nation. He said that the U.S. will “run the country” until a proper transition can take place and went right into how US oil companies will benefit from this takeover. He doesn’t understand the risks and costs involved with these poorly thought-out decisions that don’t make Americans any safer today than they were yesterday.

Nicolas Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator who deserves to face justice. I want the people of Venezuela to be free to choose their own future, but if we learned anything from the Iraq war, it’s that dropping bombs or toppling a leader doesn’t guarantee democracy, stability or make Americans safer. More often, it leads to chaos or drags the US into a war and lengthy occupation. I don’t trust that this administration has a plan, timeline, or price tag for what comes next.

Over the past year, Trump’s foreign policy has been reckless, chaotic, self-serving, and unconstitutional. Congress should vote this week to reassert its authority on behalf of the American people before he oversteps again. I also want to recognize the professionalism and skill of the American service members involved in this operation. While I don’t agree with the administration’s justification for this, I’m thankful that no service members were killed or seriously injured.

Congressman Abe Hamadeh:

I support President Donald Trump’s decisive actions to hold Nicolás Maduro accountable, a brutal oppressor who has led a drug cartel masquerading as a government and terrorized his own people. Maduro is an illegitimate ruler who lost at the ballot box and now clings to power through violence, corruption, and the narcotics trade that has poisoned American communities. This is peace through strength in action, defending our own backyard and stopping threats before they reach our borders. Reports that Chinese officials met with Maduro just yesterday and were still on the ground during the operation only underscore how urgent and necessary strong American leadership is. Peace through strength!

Congressman Greg Stanton:

Maduro’s illegitimate presidency shattered Venezuela and ran its economy into the ground.

But the U.S. Constitution and federal law make clear: presidents must have authorization from Congress for war or acts of war.

The President’s actions are not only illegal, but they also reflect decades of bad policy foreign policy decisions where regime change has quickly led to chaos or worse conditions.

We cannot let U.S. foreign policy serve as a green light for authoritarians around the world who seek to dominate their own neighbors by force, especially countries like Russia and China.

Congressman Andy Biggs:

The operation in Venezuela is a reminder that President Trump leads with resolve and will never hesitate to do what he thinks is best for American citizens.

The criminal charges and indictments against illegitimate dictator Maduro form the legal basis for this law-enforcement operation with military protection. This action is within President Trump’s Article II executive authority.

We have the strongest military in the world, and I’m thankful for our courageous service members’ safe return home.

I look forward to continuing our work with President Trump and his team to enact the America First mandate voters delivered.

Senator Ruben Gallego:

There is no justification for the United States to be at war with Venezuela.

I lived through the consequences of an illegal war sold to the American people with lies. We swore we would never repeat those mistakes. Yet here we are again.

The American people did not ask for this, Congress did not authorize this, and our service members should not be sent into harm’s way for another unnecessary conflict.

Congressman David Schweikert:

Nicholas Maduro was a dictator, a drug dealer, and a thug who needed to go. Thanks to our brave military, that has now happened. It is my hope that with the scourge of Maduro now removed, the Venezuelan people can choose a rightfully elected leader in a free and fair election.

Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari:

Last night, Donald Trump carried out yet another illegal act of war in Venezuela, capturing the country’s illegitimate and brutal dictator, Nicolas Maduro. This is action that Congress did not authorize and the American people did not ask for. It is a profound abuse of power by an unrestrained U.S. president.

Trump’s explanations for this action have incredibly changed from combatting drug trafficking, to forcing regime change, to now taking Venezuelan oil for the profit of multibillion dollar oil conglomerates. At a time of rising costs and severe crises of Trump’s own making at home, expending government resources, military capacity, and taxpayer dollars for foreign military intervention and to line the pockets of his friends and donors is utterly reckless and shameful.

Any American military action in Venezuela requires Congressional authorization. While I am gratified that the Venezuelan people are now free from the horrific Maduro dictatorship, it now must be up to the people to set a course for a free and democratic Venezuela. The steps taken by the Trump administration last night are entirely outside the bounds of the law, and any further action to put tens of thousands of U.S. servicemembers in harm’s way and “run” a foreign country must be put before a vote in Congress as soon as possible. The American people do not want to repeat the mistakes of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Congress needs to get to the bottom of what the administration’s next steps are: a transition plan in Venezuela? Seizing oil? Putting U.S. boots on the ground? Or further unconstitutional acts of war against other countries? The House must take immediate measures to hold this rogue president accountable, investigating last night’s events and passing a war powers resolution to prevent further military escalation.

Congressman Juan Ciscomani:

Earlier today, American service members carried out a decisive operation aimed at disrupting a narco-terror regime responsible for years of harm to the United States. Nicolás Maduro and the criminal network he leads have fueled the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, costing countless American lives.

President Trump’s decisive action marks a critical step toward disrupting these deadly trafficking operations and pushing back against a destabilizing regime that has aligned itself with some of our most dangerous adversaries, including Iran, China, Hezbollah, and Hamas. This action sends a clear signal that the United States will not allow narco-terrorism or hostile foreign influence to threaten our security or our hemisphere.

We are deeply grateful to the American heroes who executed this mission with courage and precision. Decisive action is how we keep America safe.