KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured in Venezuela by the United States military and flown out of the country early Saturday morning.
Political leaders across both Missouri and Kansas gave their reactions after the U.S. carried out the operation known as "Operation Absolute Resolve."
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D - 5th District, Missouri) called the operation "unconstitutional," "destabilizing," and "deeply damaging to America’s reputation" in a statement released Saturday afternoon.
He further criticized the use of military force in order to complete the operation and described the decision-making of President Trump's administration as "shortsighted."
Read Cleaver's full statement below.
The president’s reckless decision to put our servicemembers in harm’s way by attacking a sovereign nation without a coherent rationale or approval from Congress is unconstitutional, destabilizing to the region, and deeply damaging to America’s reputation around the world.
While there is not a single individual who will defend the actions of a murderous and illegitimate dictator in Nicolas Maduro, the use of military force to enact regime change in a foreign nation has proven disastrous to our national security and economic interests in recent history. Moreover, such shortsighted decision-making will only embolden despots around the world, giving tyrants in Russia and China an excuse to utilize their own military forces to depose leaders with whom they disagree.
Whether it was the illegal strikes in Iran, Nigeria, or off the coast of South America, there is no question that this careless decision is the culmination of Congressional Republican refusal to hold the Executive Branch accountable and maintain the checks and balances that are essential to strategic and well-informed foreign policy. Now, because of this dereliction of duty, the president claims our troops and tax dollars will ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as a proper transition can take place’.
As Congress returns to Washington, the administration must immediately brief the people’s elected representatives about the legal justifications of this attack, the short-term risks to our troops and civilians, and the long-term strategy to ensure the situation in Venezuela does not result in another quagmire that the American people do not support and cannot afford.
In a post on social media platform X Saturday morning, U.S. Rep Sam Graves (R - Missouri) said Maduro was a "ruthless Communist dictator" who participated in narco-terrorism and praised Trump for being "decisive."
He also thanked the military and law enforcement who carried out the mission.
Nicolas Maduro, a ruthless Communist dictator, has been engaged in narco-terrorism for years, flooding our country with deadly drugs and killing our kids. Because of President Trump's decisive action, Maduro will finally face justice for his crimes. Thank you to our courageous…
— Rep. Sam Graves (@RepSamGraves) January 3, 2026
U.S. Rep Mark Alford (R - Missouri) also took to X, saying he strongly supports President Trump and his administration capturing Maduro.
Alford showed gratitude to those involved in the operation as well, similar to Graves.
We strongly support President Trump and the administration’s bold actions to take illegitimate Venezuelan President and narco terrorist Nicolas Maduro into U.S. custody.
— Rep. Mark Alford (@RepMarkAlford) January 3, 2026
Venezuelan drugs have poisoned our communities for far too long and we look forward to Maduro facing swift…
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R - Missouri) also backed Trump, saying he enhanced national security and defended the U.S. from "bad actors" with the completion of "Operation Absolute Resolve."
President Trump did exactly what he said he was going to do — enhance our national security and defend America from bad actors.
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) January 3, 2026
Leaders around the world are finally understanding that those weren't empty promises. pic.twitter.com/obD45JfjGy
Sen. Roger Marshall (R - Kansas) called the operation "successful" and applauded the U.S. military for its "bravery" and "precision."
Absolute Resolve was successful, and completed without the loss of American life, because of the bravery and precision of our military, the finest in the world. God bless the United States military.
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) January 3, 2026
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas described the operation as a "regime change war for oil" in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon.
Rep. Derek Schmidt (R - Kansas) thanked the U.S. military for its "courage" and "dedication" in capturing Maduro.
Schmidt said he has requested a fuller briefing, which he expects to obtain in the coming days.
The U.S. military operation in aid of U.S. law enforcement executing an arrest warrant for Nicolas Maduro was a remarkable testament to the professionalism of the men and women involved. I thank them for their courage and dedication and pray for the swift and full recovery of…
— Congressman Derek Schmidt (@RepDerekSchmidt) January 3, 2026
Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said he commends President Trump and U.S. forces, describing their action against Maduro's regime as "decisive." He called the capture of Maduro "long overdue."
I commend President @realDonaldTrump and our brave U.S. forces for this decisive action against the Maduro regime. This narco-terrorist has poisoned American communities and destroyed countless lives, including our children. Bringing him to justice and securing our hemisphere is… pic.twitter.com/NgLPqx4rg7
— Ty Masterson (@TyMastersonKS) January 3, 2026
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