[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H650-H654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SUCCESSFUL OPERATION TO ARREST NICOLAS MADURO

  (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. 
Crawford of Arkansas was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of 
the majority leader.)


                             General Leave

  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order into the 
Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, it is particularly important with this 
Special Order to clear the air. Americans deserve no less than to 
understand the truth of what just transpired in Venezuela.
  Nicolas Maduro has been removed as the reigning despot, 
narcoterrorist, and illegitimate President of Venezuela. This fact is a 
momentous and great thing, pure and simple.
  Notwithstanding what you might have heard from many Democrats when 
President Trump's successfully ordered Maduro's arrest and 
exfiltration, the realization on the part of the world, especially 
Venezuelans, that Maduro's sword of repression has come to an end 
resulted in praise and thanksgiving. This mission clearly showed 
America's full force and capability to instigate good in the world and 
battle the forces of evil.
  Americans woke up on January 3, 2026, to news that our truly 
courageous and skillful intelligence community, law enforcement, and 
military had executed a mission that is simply unbelievable if we had 
not heard about the exploits soon thereafter.
  What an unprecedented risk our men and women took on that day to do 
what no other political administration in the world had ever 
contemplated as remotely possible: to remove and exfiltrate for 
prosecution a ruthless dictator whose direct involvement in 
narcoterrorism has led to the death of scores of Americans and other 
allies' citizens.
  Please don't take my word for the nature of Maduro's reign over 
Venezuela. My Democrat colleagues have for years been raising the alarm 
of Maduro's destruction through a multitude of legislative measures. 
Just a small subset of this Democrat-led legislation is cited in a 
House resolution--H. Res. 987--we have introduced today.

                              {time}  1940

  Examples include H.R. 328, a Democratic-sponsored bill that 
excoriates the Maduro regime which ``has refused to respect the 
overwhelming choice of

[[Page H651]]

the people of Venezuela and subsequently arrested and abused thousands 
of innocent citizens of Venezuela, including children, for peaceful 
political participation.''
  Mr. Speaker, consider H. Res. 1471 of the 118th Congress, another 
Democratic-sponsored piece of legislation that stresses ``Venezuela, 
where actors linked to the regime of Nicolas Maduro have engaged in a 
sustained and synchronized campaign of disinformation to undermine the 
country's 2023-2024 electoral process, invalidate the results of such 
elections, and attack Maria Corina Machado and other opposition 
leaders.''
  Mr. Speaker, pointing to the threat closer to home, Democratic-
sponsored H.R. 8741 of the 118th Congress defined Maduro as a person of 
concern who is engaged in a ``long-term pattern or serious instances of 
activity adverse to the national security of the United States, the 
security of critical infrastructure of the United States, or the safety 
and security of United States persons.''
  Mr. Speaker, contemplate Democratic-sponsored H.R. 5670 of the 118th 
Congress that succinctly called for ``an end to the usurpation of 
Presidential authorities by Nicolas Maduro.''
  Yet, despite this forgoing string of legislation sponsored by my 
friends on the other side of the aisle pointing to Maduro's reign of 
terror, sadly, President Trump's decisive actions to do something about 
it all seems to have caused a reversal in sentiment among Democrats. 
Rather than expressing unity during a time when the Western Hemisphere 
has been freed from a despot's clutch, instead, Democrats have called 
the Trump administration ``warmongers'' who are ``lying to the American 
people,'' or referring to the President himself as having put us in a 
``fascist cul-de-sac,'' having committed ``an impeachable offense.''
  Do these comments from Democrats sound supportive of the Trump 
administration or the fine men and women who successfully conducted one 
of the most daring operations in American history? Not to me. Not to 
any American who reads or hears them.
  Instead, they seem to revel in demeaning a President whose 
administration just accomplished what the Democrats have never been 
able to do; that is, executing Maduro's demise.
  Despite a long, laundry list of Democratic bills and resolutions 
seemingly hoping for Maduro's eventual removal, Democrats now choose to 
attack those who were able to make reality their previously voiced 
ambitions. Yet merely because it was the Trump administration which 
graciously performed the seemingly impossible, these Democrats now 
oppose one of America's greatest hours.
  To this end, we introduced a resolution today to make clear that the 
House of Representatives is supportive of the efforts of our brave 
patriots who deftly brought an end to Maduro's terrorization of not 
only the good people of Venezuela but also those Americans and others 
who have experienced Maduro's drug-laden terrorism.
  This Special Order and the related House resolution clarify one 
thing: America is grateful for this administration's efforts to rid the 
world of a freedom-killing, murderous dictator. We are all better for 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I now recognize my friend, vice chairman of the House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Kelly).
  Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, America is safer today. A narcoterrorist and an 
illegitimate government leader, Nicolas Maduro, is removed from office 
and is awaiting trial in the United States of America.
  One of the clearest responsibilities of the President is ensuring 
that those who endanger American lives are brought to face justice. He 
did just that.
  When Nicolas Maduro continued to operate with impunity, President 
Trump made the decision to enforce United States law and protect our 
national security interests.
  Nicolas Maduro was not a legitimate leader. He was an indicted 
narcoterrorist who helped turn Venezuela into a hub for drug 
trafficking, corruption, and foreign influence that directly threatened 
the United States and our allies. For a year, there was bipartisan 
agreement on this fact. The difference is President Trump acted.
  As Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear, this was a limited law 
enforcement action carried out with precision to enforce U.S. laws and 
protect our homeland.
  The message is clear: The Western Hemisphere is our home. It cannot 
and will not become a safe haven for drug cartels, Iranian proxies, or 
hostile actors who seek to undermine our security and poison our 
communities.
  This action made clear that the United States is serious about 
defending our national interests and holding criminals accountable, not 
through rhetoric but through results.
  I express my deep gratitude to the law enforcement officers, 
servicemembers, and intelligence professionals who carried out this 
operation. Their discipline and professionalism reflect the highest 
standards of our Nation.
  I thank President Trump for his actions. He did not escalate a 
conflict. He enforced the law.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for 
his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the 
distinguished chairman of the National Security Agency and Cyber 
Subcommittee on the House Intelligence Committee.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chairman for having this Special 
Order here tonight and also for the introduction of the special 
resolution that lays out the justification and why we took out Nicolas 
Maduro.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in strong support of the capture of 
Nicolas Maduro. Nicolas Maduro and his corrupt inner circle have been 
U.S. law enforcement targets for over 15 years with multiple agencies, 
including the U.S. Department of Justice, the DEA, and the FBI, working 
toward his arrest and his prosecution.

  In 2020, under the first Trump administration, the United States 
unsealed a superseding indictment out of the Southern District of New 
York against Maduro and more than a dozen of his associates, along with 
offering a $15 million reward for his capture.
  The 2020 indictment described how Maduro and his top lieutenants 
served as leaders of the Cartel de los Soles for over two decades and 
partnered with known designated foreign terrorist organizations to 
move, at the time, over 250 tons of cocaine through Venezuela--cocaine 
that was cultivated, manufactured, and moved through Venezuela.
  Then, fast-forward to January 2025. The Biden administration and the 
Biden Department of Justice, at the time relying on the same indictment 
from the Trump administration, increased the bounty and reward for 
Maduro to $25 million. That is the same reward offered for information 
leading to Osama bin Laden's capture.
  Under the second Trump administration, last month, a superseding 
indictment was unsealed with updated estimates of cocaine smuggling 
linked to Maduro, now exceeding thousands of tons.
  The new indictment highlights other criminal activity directly tied 
to Maduro, including providing fake travel documents to facilitate drug 
smuggling under the guise of diplomatic cover and partnerships with the 
Sinaloa Cartel boss El Chapo.
  The bottom line is that Maduro is a thug. He is a dictator. He is an 
international criminal. That was recognized by the Biden administration 
and obviously the Trump administration.
  The Department of Justice was in charge of this mission. It was their 
mission, and there were a lot of details that came out after the 
execution of this mission.
  Yet one thing that didn't get covered enough was that there were 
lawyers who immediately met Maduro when he was brought into United 
States' custody. He was read his rights. He was given the opportunity 
to read the indictment before he was brought to the Southern District 
of New York.
  Narcoterrorism is a serious, serious charge. If you look at the 
allegations in there, Maduro and his associates essentially flooded the 
United States with thousands and thousands of tons of cocaine.
  The other thing that doesn't get mentioned enough is the fact that 
our adversaries--Iran, China, and Russia--

[[Page H652]]

essentially have used Venezuela for the last 20 years as a base and a 
platform to spy, threaten and cause chaos in the Western Hemisphere and 
the United States. That will no longer happen because of the brave work 
that was executed by our Special Forces on January 3.
  I give a lot of credit to the Trump team: Secretary Rubio, Director 
Ratcliffe, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, General Caine, and obviously 
President Trump. None of this would have happened without that team 
that was in place.
  Venezuela is going to be a better place without Maduro. The region is 
going to be better off, and the world will be a better place.
  The reality is that Maduro's capture and prosecution will save 
American lives, and I commend the Trump administration for taking this 
decisive action.
  There are additional targets of Maduro's criminal enterprise who 
remain at large and now know that the United States will no longer 
tolerate or turn a blind eye to the transshipment of their cocaine and 
other drugs across our borders.

                              {time}  1950

  I thank Chairman Crawford, and I thank the members of the House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for being here tonight and 
look forward to continuing to work with the Trump administration to 
make the Western Hemisphere a safer place.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Arkansas, 
Mr. Hill, my colleague and the distinguished member of the House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as the chairman of 
the Committee on Financial Services.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand on the floor 
with my colleague from Arkansas, our distinguished chair of the House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and our colleagues to give 
the American people some perspective on the important action that 
President Trump has taken that reasserts America's leadership in the 
Western Hemisphere, counters our rivals for that Western Hemisphere 
influence, Russia, Iran, China, and keep America safer by taking this 
action.
  The communist, authoritarian government in Caracas has long been an 
adversary of the United States.
  In the early 2000s, our relationship with Venezuela was strained when 
they named strongman Hugo Chavez as their leader. Maduro was a leader 
in the Chavez government, Mr. Speaker, and was a full partner in the 
anti-American policies and the growing partnership with Cuba, China, 
and Russia.
  In 2013, Maduro became the president of Venezuela after Chavez' 
death. He continued those communist partnerships, compounded the anti-
American rhetoric and strategy by adding the goal of becoming a 
narcostate.
  From 2014 to 2015, the United States began to sanction Venezuelan 
officials for drug trafficking.
  In 2017, the United States escalated sanctions against the Maduro 
government for its links to the illicit drug trade.
  In 2019, the United States no longer recognized Maduro as Venezuela's 
legitimate president. As a result, the United States officially cut 
diplomatic ties with the Maduro regime.
  In 2020, the Department of Justice charged Maduro with 
narcoterrorism, and the United States offered a $15 million reward for 
his capture.
  In 2024, in my view, Mr. Speaker, was the last straw when Maduro lost 
the national election and annulled the results.
  He simply is a cheap, drug-dealing, election fraudster.
  Don't take Republicans on this side of the aisle's word for it, Mr. 
Speaker. The European Union, the United States Government under the 
Biden and the Trump administrations, the Organization of American 
States, his neighbors, they all agree Maduro stole the election in 2024 
and compounded it by annulling the results.
  The regime was one long string of repression and human rights abuses. 
Over 8 million Venezuelans have fled Venezuela, their home country, 
because of Maduro.
  Republicans and Democrats have acknowledged that Maduro has been a 
national security threat to the United States, and that is why I have 
to call out the hypocrisy that I have witnessed in recent days from my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
  The Western Hemisphere is America's backyard. It is also why I am 
pleased that the recently released National Security Strategy reasserts 
the Monroe Doctrine with current American security interests.
  Under the National Security Strategy, the United States will enlist 
allies in the Western Hemisphere to partner in controlling migration, 
halting drug trafficking, and mutually strengthening stability and 
security.
  Also, under the Trump National Security Strategy, the United States 
will expand our goals and partners in the Western Hemisphere by 
bringing in new countries, building new relationships, bolstering 
America as the top choice as a security and an economic partner.
  The strength of the Trump administration, combined with the 
exceptional execution by our law enforcement and military operators, 
showcases, Mr. Speaker, how serious the United States is to keep our 
country safe, keep our people safe, keep our streets safe, and secure 
our allied economic and security interests from the tip of Argentina 
and Chile to Canada.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Arkansas for his leadership.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentleman 
from Georgia, Mr. Austin Scott, my good friend and a distinguished 
member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and 
chairman of the Subcommittee on the National Intelligence Enterprise.
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I have, as other Members, gotten a number of calls over 
the last couple of days about whether or not I think the President did 
the right thing or not. I will read this to you: ``. . . President of 
the United States of America, find that the situation in Venezuela, 
including the government of Venezuela's erosion of human rights 
guarantees, persecution of political opponents, curtailment of press 
freedoms, use of violence and human rights violations and abuses in 
response to antigovernment protests, and arbitrary arrest and detention 
of antigovernment protestors, as well as the exacerbating presence of 
significant public corruption, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary 
threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United 
States. . . .''
  Now, what I want you to know is that wasn't Donald Trump that wrote 
that. That was Barack Obama that wrote that. If President Obama or 
President Biden had taken the same actions to remove Maduro from power 
and help not just the United States but the Western Hemisphere and the 
world as a whole, I can honestly tell you that Republicans would have 
applauded those actions. Because it was President Trump and the Trump 
derangement syndrome and the hatred that Democrats have for him, he has 
been attacked for it.
  Remember this: President Trump did put a bounty on Maduro, but it was 
President Biden that raised the bounty to $25 million in January of 
this year.

  Chuck Schumer in 2020 attacked: ``And the President brags about his 
Venezuela policy. Give us a break. He hasn't brought an end to the 
Maduro regime. The Maduro regime is more powerful today and more 
entrenched than it was when the President began.''
  That was Chuck Schumer in 2020.
  What is Chuck Schumer saying today? ``This is reckless. And the 
American people are just, this morning, in fear of what is going to 
happen here.''
  Let me tell you something. The world is a safer place because of what 
Donald Trump ordered and what our military carried out this past week. 
The Western Hemisphere cannot be a safe space for China, Russia, Iran, 
Hamas, Hezbollah, or the other terrorists that were being given safe 
haven in Venezuela.
  Speaker Pelosi in 2019 ended her round table comments with a 
resounding: ``It is clear Maduro must go, the sooner the better.''
  Madam Speaker, you should congratulate President Trump. Instead, what 
did she say: ``Venezuela is ruled by an illegitimate regime, but the 
administration has not made the case

[[Page H653]]

that an urgent threat to America's national security existed to justify 
the use of U.S. military force.''
  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful that we have a President in the White 
House with the guts to get it done, who has helped us build a military 
with the capability to get it done. It was one of the most impressive 
military operations that I think the world has ever witnessed. Those 
men and women, whether they were on the ground, in the air, or 
supporting that mission, deserve commendations, not criticism, as does 
the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to recognize my good 
friend from Florida, Greg Steube, also a member and colleague on the 
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Trump administration's 
actions in capturing Nicolas Maduro.
  Over the past week, Democrats have claimed that Maduro's capture was 
unconstitutional, illegal, and violated international norms. Democrats 
argue that Congress must declare war or give explicit authorization 
before the President can act.
  Article II is clear. The President is the Commander in Chief, and the 
Constitution has never required a declaration of war for every use of 
force, national security or law enforcement operation against criminal 
actors who threaten the United States.
  President Clinton acted in Kosovo. President Obama acted in Libya. 
President Biden even ordered strikes against terrorist leaders. In none 
of those cases did Democrats suddenly discover a constitutional crisis.
  The War Powers Resolution recognizes that the President may act first 
and notify Congress afterwards. There is no legal requirement that 
Congress be notified before the President takes action. That framework 
has governed American foreign policy for more than 50 years.
  Maduro is not a legitimate head of state. He is a criminal defendant 
under United States law who was charged and indicted in 2020 by the 
Department of Justice for drug trafficking and other related crimes.

                              {time}  2000

  There is legal precedent directly on point. All of these arguments 
made by the Democrats that it is illegal should look no further than 
President Bush's capture of Manuel Noriega in Panama in 1989. Like the 
Maduro operation, the Panama invasion occurred without congressional 
authorization.
  Like Noriega, Maduro faces Federal drug trafficking charges. Like 
Noriega, he was captured through military operations conducted without 
congressional authorization. Like Noriega, he will surely argue head of 
state immunity and unlawful seizure. However, just like the court found 
in Noriega's case, he will be prosecuted for his crimes, and the 
actions that led to his seizure are legally sound, as they follow a 36-
year-old template validated by Federal courts.
  Mr. Speaker, to the Americans whose communities have been devastated 
by drugs, to the families who have lost loved ones, and to the people 
of our hemisphere who have suffered under his criminal regime, this 
action sends a clear message: Narcoterrorist dictators are not immune 
from consequences, and the United States will not stand by while our 
citizens continue to be poisoned and murdered by the Maduro regime.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for his 
eloquent comments.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), who is also my 
colleague on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend President Donald J. 
Trump for his decisive leadership that restored American strength, put 
our security first, and reasserted the rule of law on behalf of the 
American people in our hemisphere.
  For years, Venezuela, under Nicolas Maduro, was not a legitimate 
government. It functioned as a criminal enterprise, enriching corrupt 
elites, fueling narcoterrorist networks, and exporting disorder 
throughout the Western Hemisphere.
  That criminal activity did not stop at Venezuela's borders. It 
strengthened cartels, expanded drug trafficking routes, and contributed 
directly to the fentanyl crisis that is devastating working families 
across the United States, including in my home State of New York.
  Under President Trump, that era of weakness is over. Criminals no 
longer get a free pass.
  Through Operation Absolute Resolve, U.S. forces and law enforcement 
partners successfully captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia 
Flores, both tied to narcotics trafficking, in a carefully planned, 
coordinated operation, carried out with precision and without a single 
U.S. casualty.
  This is what peace through strength looks like. This was a lawful 
action. This was an act of justice against an indicted narcotrafficker 
who believed he could evade accountability while ordinary people paid 
the price. President Trump proved him wrong.
  This operation also demonstrated what strong leadership looks like. 
Our military, intelligence community, and law enforcement agencies 
worked seamlessly together, drawing on decades of experience, to 
deliver accountability.
  The administration did not stop there. By cracking down on sanctioned 
oil shipments and seizing illicit tankers operating in violation of 
U.S. law, President Trump sent a clear message: Sanctions will be 
enforced. Criminal profits will be cut off. Rigged systems will be 
dismantled. When you stop the money, you choke off the trafficking.
  Predictably, Democrats have reacted with hysteria, due largely to 
their acute Trump derangement syndrome and insistence on an America 
last policy. This is reminiscent of the policies of the Biden 
administration.
  Democrats would rather see America cower to our adversaries than 
stand up for our people and enforce the Monroe Doctrine, or what we now 
refer to as the Donroe doctrine. Appeasement never results in effective 
deterrence.
  Democrats' fecklessness has empowered dictators, emboldened 
traffickers, and left Americans less safe. Peace through strength 
works, and strong leadership matters.
  The mission is stability in the Western Hemisphere and a secure 
transition in Venezuela that prevents criminals and adversaries from 
filling a dangerous vacuum. President Trump will continue to lead with 
strength, accountability, and resolve.
  Mr. Speaker, this operation stands for a simple principle: Stand with 
the rule of law, cut off the money supply, stop the trafficking, always 
put America first, and the American people will win.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for 
those outstanding comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I take no pleasure in highlighting the hypocrisy of my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle. In fact, I wish we all could 
speak with one voice on this issue. It should never be partisan or 
controversial to praise the arrest of a man like Nicolas Maduro.
  Make no mistake about it, Nicolas Maduro is a murderer, an autocrat, 
a narcoterrorist, and a thug who has oppressed his people, stolen 
elections, and turned a once prosperous and free country into a 
desperate nation that millions have fled. We should all be celebrating 
the actions of the Trump administration in attempting to bring him to 
justice.
  Sadly, as we have shown today, many of my Democrat friends who were 
once on the right side of this issue have changed their minds simply 
because Nicolas Maduro's arrest was orchestrated by someone they don't 
like, President Trump.
  Instead of celebrating the administration of justice by an impartial 
U.S. court, they bemoan it. They call it unconstitutional, illegal, 
impeachable, and fascist. They insinuate that our government is somehow 
no better than Maduro's Socialist and murderous regime. That is just 
nonsense. In fact, it is embarrassing for those Members.
  I respect my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, who have long 
opposed the Maduro regime and the Chavez regime before it, people like 
Representatives Salazar and Gimenez, who represent thousands of 
Venezuelan Americans whose families or themselves have experienced the 
terror of

[[Page H654]]

Venezuelan Socialism and oppression. I thank them for taking the time 
to support us and for showing why this effort in Congress is so vital. 
Without voices like theirs bringing us the true feelings of Venezuelan 
Americans, we would only have heard from those who cared more about 
opposing the President than bringing an oppressor to justice.

  I also thank the many nameless, faceless Americans who planned and 
executed this daring and successful arrest. The public will never know 
their names or see their faces. Americans who have suffered from drug 
overdoses in their families brought on by illegal narcotics trafficked 
to the U.S. by Maduro and his cronies will never get to thank those 
individuals. I thank them, and I want them to know that they are being 
prayed for and thanked for all that they have done.
  Bringing a man like Nicolas Maduro to justice won't bring back the 
millions of Americans we have lost to drugs or the countless numbers of 
Venezuelans who have been political victims of the regime, but it is a 
start.
  Mr. Speaker, justice is worth fighting for. A Western Hemisphere free 
from drug trafficking and gangs, supported and run by illegitimate 
autocrats, is worth fighting for. Standing behind our principles, even 
when it is politically inconvenient, is a posture worth fighting for.
  Mr. Speaker, as I close tonight, I remind the American people that 
this administration's law enforcement actions to bring Maduro to 
justice have received the full support of Republicans in Congress. I 
hope my Democratic colleagues, who were once in favor of such actions, 
will be able to put aside their animus toward the President and embrace 
new possibilities for the people of Venezuela.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________