U.S. Special Operations Team Removes Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro

Monday, January 5, 2026 — Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said Monday that Venezuelans are enthusiastic about the arrest of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

“There are more Democrats here in Washington complaining about this than there are Venezuelans,” Emmer said during an interview.

He described the operation as a law enforcement action: “They got rid of an illegitimate ruler who was a dictator and a thug.”

Emmer added that President Trump has made Americans safer, stating, “He has made American communities more safe, and is in the process of making the world more safe.”

When asked about congressional Democrats’ complaints regarding approval for the mission, Emmer dismissed their concerns: “It didn’t require congressional approval. I agree with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”

He compared the situation to the extradition of Panama’s former dictator Manuel Noriega: “This is no different than extraditing [Panama’s Manuel] Noriega years ago. So basically, they extradited someone who wasn’t even a legitimate ruler.”

Emmer addressed claims that the Trump administration overthrew Maduro’s government, saying such allegations are unfounded: “So anybody who says this is overthrow? Whatever. No. He was not the legitimate ruler. He stole the last election.”

The representative noted that Trump ordered Maduro to face criminal charges in the United States, stating, “He was removed and brought to the United States, where he’s finally going to face justice for the hundreds of thousands of Americans that he’s killed, not to mention others around the world.”

Maduro appeared briefly in a New York federal court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Legal analysts report the case is expected to be lengthy with challenges anticipated regarding the legitimacy of the federal indictments.