Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma defended President Donald Trump’s decision to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, calling it the “absolute right move” in a Saturday interview. Mullin criticized Maduro for presiding over a regime that, he said, turned Venezuela into a hub for drug trafficking and corruption, contributing to the flow of narcotics into the United States and harming American families.
Mullin pointed to high U.S. drug overdose death figures as an example of the domestic crisis linked to illicit narcotics. He noted that in 2024 the United States saw tens of thousands of overdose deaths, a toll he compared to U.S. military fatalities in major conflicts. The senator argued that confronting drug traffickers at their source was a critical priority for U.S. national security and public health.
Mullin also endorsed Trump’s focus on Venezuelan oil and efforts to control how Venezuelan energy resources are managed going forward. The president announced plans to sell the country’s oil on the global market and to use the proceeds in ways that would benefit both Venezuela and the United States, a move Mullin said reinforces economic leverage while helping stabilize the region.
The senator challenged what he called Democratic hypocrisy, observing that leading Democrats had previously supported action against Maduro but now criticize Trump’s execution of the operation. He referenced past statements from prominent Democratic leaders calling for strong measures against Maduro, noting that support has shifted simply because the action was carried out under Trump rather than a Democratic administration.
Mullin also raised concerns about Venezuela’s geopolitical alliances, including ties with China. He said that allowing foreign influence to grow in America’s hemisphere posed risks that warranted decisive U.S. response. For Mullin, the combination of drug trafficking, economic mismanagement, and foreign entanglements justified Trump’s intervention and the removal of Maduro from power.
The senator’s comments reflect broader GOP support for Trump’s policy on Venezuela and for confronting regimes seen as hostile to U.S. interests. Many Republicans argue that addressing drug cartels and criminal networks in Latin America requires bold action. As Maduro faces legal proceedings in U.S. courts, Republican lawmakers continue to frame the capture as a step toward accountability and a blow against narco‑terrorism and organized crime.
