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Secretary of State Marco Rubio ripped Kamala Harris and other Democrats over their criticism of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s arrest on Saturday.

Rubio — and other critics — pointed out that the Biden admin also offered a massive reward for Maduro’s arrest, they just failed to bring him in.

There had been a hefty price on Maduro’s head dating back to 2020, following his indictment on charges including narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking, but Rubio said no meaningful steps were taken besides dangling some cash.


  Secretary of State Marco Rubio swung back at former Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats criticizing the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. AP Secretary of State Marco Rubio swung back at former Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats criticizing the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. AP

“In the Biden administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture,” Rubio told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on Sunday.

“So, we have a reward for his capture, but we’re not going to enforce it?” the secretary asked, incredulously.

“That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else … President Trump did something about it.”

Saturday’s dead-of-night US special forces mission, dubbed Operation Absolute Reserve, saw the capture of the socialist Venezuelan dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, just steps from the country’s heavily fortified Ft. Tiuna military compound.

Trump said US troops were able to breach the fortifications “in a matter of seconds.”

When news broke of the successful operation, failed 2024 presidential candidate Harris quickly took to social media to denounce it.


  Harris called the Trump administration’s decision to arrest Maduro “unlawful and unwise.” ABC Harris called the Trump administration’s decision to arrest Maduro “unlawful and unwise.” ABC

“That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise,” she wrote on X Saturday night.

“We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.”

Here’s the latest on Nicolás Maduro’s capture:

Harris further alleged the targeted mission wasn’t about deposing Maduro, but about “oil” and “Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman.”


  Maduro was whisked to the US, where he will face federal narco-terrorism charges. truthsocial/@realDonaldTrump Maduro was whisked to the US, where he will face federal narco-terrorism charges. truthsocial/@realDonaldTrump

Making the rounds on Sunday news programs, Rubio repeatedly said the US doesn’t need Venezuela’s oil, but rather wants to ensure its rich reserves don’t end up under the control of America’s adversaries.

Former President Joe Biden’s social media history came back to bite him after Maduro’s capture, posting on X (then Twitter) in 2020 that Trump “admires” the ousted tyrant.

“Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolas Maduro. As President, I will stand with the Venezuelan people and for democracy,” Biden’s poorly aged posting read.

The whiplash-inducing stances among Democratic pols extended into Congress.


  Rubio pointed out that the Biden administration had offered a $25 million reward for the capture of Maduro. Getty Images Rubio pointed out that the Biden administration had offered a $25 million reward for the capture of Maduro. Getty Images

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) came out strongly against what he called the “invasion” of Venezuela by the Trump administration on CNN’s “State of the Union,” accusing the president of starting an “illegal war” in the country.

“Listen, Venezuela is not a security threat to the United States. They’re not threatening to invade us. There is no terrorist group like al Qaeda operating there that has plans to attack the United States,” he told host Dana Bash.

Bash then presented him with a 2019 op-ed the senator penned in the Washington Post in which he wrote, “Let’s get one thing straight: There should no longer be any debate about Maduro’s lack of democratic legitimacy … The Trump administration is right to put restoring Venezuelan democracy at the center of our approach to this crisis.”


  Trump critics denounced the military operation, despite the previous administration’s policy of offering a sizable reward for Maduro’s capture. AFP via Getty Images Trump critics denounced the military operation, despite the previous administration’s policy of offering a sizable reward for Maduro’s capture. AFP via Getty Images

Murphy chuckled and claimed the remainder of his article was a “criticism” of Trump’s “early moves to saber-rattle about regime change.”

Some 150 aircraft took part in the extraordinary operation, during which precision strikes were made around the Venezuelan capital city of Caracas, including Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, Port La Guaira, Higuerote Airport and Fuerte Tiuna.

The incursion lasted just under two and a half hours. Trump said no American troops were killed, but officials in the embattled South American nation said at least 40 Venezuelans died, including soldiers and civilians, according to the New York Times.

An undisclosed number of US forces were wounded, but all of them are expected to recover.

Maduro, 63, and Flores were dragged back to the US, and are waiting to face federal narco-terrorism charges at the Brooklyn Detention Center.

Maduro rose to power in 2013 following the death of fellow socialist dictator Hugo Chavez, and declared himself the victor of a 2018 presidential election.

However, in 2019, Venezuela’s national assembly declared he had taken the presidency by illegitimate means and was not the country’s rightful ruler.

He then again declared himself the victor in a highly contested July 2024 presidential election, at which point the US joined a chorus of other nations in refusing to recognize him as the leader of Venezuela.

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