SUCCESSFUL OPERATION TO ARREST NICOLAS MADURO

On 2026-01-12, Representative Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1) delivered a floor speech titled "SUCCESSFUL OPERATION TO ARREST NICOLAS MADURO" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation including HR328, HR8741, HR5670, among other bills.

SUCCESSFUL OPERATION TO ARREST NICOLAS MADURO

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026) [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 a

Referenced legislation: HRES1471, HR8741, HR328, HRES987, HR5670