Maduro captured: Some Virginia leaders praise Trump admin., others give concerns

The capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife has sparked split reactions from Virginia politicians.

A video posted to social media by a White House account showed Maduro smiling as he was being escorted by law enforcement through a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office.

The following opinions were largely split along party lines.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said this effort took "extraordinary leadership" from President Donald Trump.

As of Monday morning, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger has not offered an opinion on the recent military operation in Venezuela. News 3 has reached out to her team for comment.

Virginia's senators, both Democrats, condemned Maduro while expressing concern over Congress' lack of involvement in the lead up to this military operation.

Sen. Tim Kaine said this action is "a sickening return to a day when the United States asserted the right to dominate the internal political affairs of all nations in the Western Hemisphere."

Sen. Mark Warner said called the Trump administration hypocritical for focusing on Maduro's narco-terrorism-related charges after the president pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted on drug trafficking charges.

In Hampton Roads, Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans said the strength of U.S. service members "was on full display" during the operation to capture Maduro.

"The strength of the United States is rooted in the courage and dedication of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. That strength was on full display in the early hours this morning, when they carried out a precise and successful operation to apprehend indicted narcoterrorist Nicolás Maduro.

While I look forward to returning to Washington to receive a full briefing on this operation, l am grateful that our adversaries have once again been reminded of what American strength and resolve look like on the world stage. The United States will not tolerate illegal drug trafficking that targets our nation and harms our people. For too long, Americans have suffered the consequences of poisonous drugs funneled into our country by this illegal regime, and this operation marks a concrete step toward putting an end to that threat. Every parent in Virginia and across the country should rejoice that narcoterrorism is being addressed to protect our children and their futures against the deadly flow of drugs into our communities.

I am forever grateful to our service members who stand on the front lines to defend our nation and preserve the freedoms that make the United States a true beacon of hope the around the word."

Across the aisle, Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott, condemned Maduro but added that "does not give any president the authority to disregard the Constitution."

Maduro had previously been indicted in 2020 for drug-related charges.

Speaking Sunday on NBC News’ "Meet the Press," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is “at war against drug trafficking organizations,” but not Venezuela specifically. Amid lingering questions about who is now in charge of the Venezuelan government, Rubio also rejected the idea that the U.S. would take over — a notion President Donald Trump floated a day earlier.

"Here's the bottom line on it: we expect to see changes in Venezuela," Rubio said. "Changes of all kinds — long-term and short-term — we'd love to see all kinds of changes. But the most immediate changes are the ones that are in the national interest of the United States. That's why we're involved here — because of how it applies and has a direct impact on the United States."