Colorado leaders react to U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

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Colorado’s elected officials reacted to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro largely along party lines on Saturday, with Democrats decrying the Trump administration’s action as illegal and unconstitutional while Republicans praised it as making the country safer.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during a military strike on Venezuela early Saturday and taken out of the country. American officials say the couple will face “narco-terrorism charges” in U.S. courts.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said the U.S. is “going to run” Venezuela until a transition of power can occur and will tap the country’s vast oil reserves as part of a rebuilding effort.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement he has seen “no evidence” to justify the Trump administration acting without congressional approval.

“The Venezuelan people deserve to thrive under a democratically elected government. But the Trump administration’s trampling of our Constitution and unauthorized military action serve only to weaken U.S. democracy and make the world more dangerous,” Bennet said. “Congress must reassert its role in these decisions to prevent the president from his continued irresponsible conduct.”

What we know about a US strike that captured Venezuela’s Maduro

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and Reps. Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen, all Democrats, similarly condemned the move in statements posted Saturday morning.

“While Maduro is an illegitimate and brutal leader, Trump absolutely should not be dragging us into a war with Venezuela,” Pettersen said.

“Sending U.S. forces into Venezuela to snatch a foreign leader in the middle of the night is illegal and unconstitutional. Only Congress has the power to declare war – not one unhinged president.”

Republican Reps. Gabe Evans and Jeff Crank praised Trump’s decision as a move that will make the country safer.

“The arrest of Nicolas Maduro -- a narco terrorist responsible for the death of countless Americans, exporting violence via gangs and cartels like Tren de Aragua, corruption, and drug trafficking -- sends a clear message: The United States will not tolerate regimes that poison our people and threaten our national security,” Evans said in a statement.

But Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Colorado’s Western Slope, offered a more guarded reaction.

Although describing Maduro as an illegitimate ruler whose regime harms the U.S. and other countries, Hurd called for any military involvement to be “narrowly defined, legally grounded and coordinated with Congress.”

“American strength abroad is reinforced by fidelity to the Constitution at home. I will work closely with the president and my colleagues to ensure U.S. actions remain focused (and) lawful and ensure dictators around the world know harm to America will never be tolerated,” Hurd said.

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert had not released a statement about Maduro’s capture as of Saturday afternoon.

Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, described Saturday’s action “a moment to celebrate the ouster of the brutal socialist dictator of Venezuela” and called for the U.S. and others to support candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who opposition leaders say actually won the country’s contested 2024 presidential election.

Polis added that he was “troubled” by the lack of congressional involvement in the process and called for a clear transition plan in Venezuela.

“We cannot have a failed foreign policy misadventure; the Venezuelan people and region deserve better,” he said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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