Elected GOP officials and other top Florida Republicans quickly backed President Donald Trump’s overnight military strike on Venezuela on Jan. 3, capturing leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife and charging them with “narcoterrorism” and machine gun possession.
Florida has the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S., with Texas coming in a distant second. Some sources peg the Sunshine State as having roughly half of all Venezuelans living in the states.
“Thank you, @POTUS, @SecRubio, @SecWar, and the brave members of our military who led the operation that successfully CAPTURED narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro,” posted U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a prominent Trump backer, on X. “A new day is here for Venezuela and Latin America.
“The United States and our hemisphere are safer because of President Trump’s leadership. God bless America and God bless the people of Venezuela!”
As of 11:30 a.m., Gov. Ron DeSantis had not weighed in on social media or through a news release.
His appointed lieutenant governor, Army Special Forces veteran Jay Collins, posted: “God bless our brave American service members who executed an extraordinary military operation. The capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro marks a critical step toward dismantling illicit cross-border narcotics trafficking while holding accountable the man leading violence and corruption.”
And Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, another DeSantis appointee who has Trump’s endorsement for the 2026 election, said, “God bless the brave US military and law enforcement who carried out this operation, and thank you, President Trump, for your decisive leadership.”
Florida Democrats cheer Maduro’s downfall, still criticize Trump
At the same time, Florida’s Congressional Democrats applauded Maduro’s capture but raised concerns about what happens next.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of South Florida, who co-chairs the Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus, called it “welcome news,” then warned that “cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows.”
“Venezuelans deserve the promise of democracy and the rule of law, not a state of endless violence and spiraling disorder,” she said in a statement. “My hope is it offers a passage to true democracy and liberation. This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González.
“I’ll demand answers as to why Congress and the American people were bypassed in this effort. The absence of congressional involvement prior to this action risks the continuation of the illegitimate Venezuelan regime.”
U.S. Rep. Darren Soto of Central Florida called Maduro a “murderous dictator” whose capture “is a major step towards a #VenezuelaLibre.” There “must be concerted efforts to ensure the democratically elected Edmundo Gonzalez is seated as the rightful new president.”
He went on, “Trump’s failure to seek Congressional approval for these strikes raises serious questions about the legality of the mission. The Administration made multiple false promises that it would not invade Venezuela without Congressional consent. Congress must now conduct extensive hearings ….”
More Republican reaction from Florida
Anthony Rodriguez, a GOP former state lawmaker who now chairs the Miami-Dade County Commission, posted on X that the “Venezuelan people have endured corruption and repression, forcing many to seek freedom and refuge, including here in Miami-Dade.
“I am deeply grateful to the brave men and women of our military for their swift, decisive action and steadfast commitment to defending freedom. My prayers are with the Venezuelan community as we stand in solidarity with them.”
U.S. Rep Byron Donalds of Naples, the leading GOP contender for Florida governor in the 2026 election and another Trump endorsee, said Maduro “used foreign terrorist organizations to traffic deadly drugs and violence into our country, killing countless Americans.”
USA TODAY has reported, however, that available data from federal agencies and the United Nations show Venezuela is not a significant source of drugs flowing into the U.S.
“He was one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security. This morning, he was captured,” Donalds added. “This is ‘Peace Through Strength.’ Justice will be served.”
This story contains previously published reporting by USA TODAY. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at jrosica@tallahassee.com and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Trump strike on Venezuela wins Florida Republicans
Reporting by Jim Rosica, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
