Arizona leaders react to US strike on Venezuela, Trump’s remarks after Maduro capture

PHOENIX — The nation was put in a state of shock early Saturday after officials announced a “large-scale strike” of Venezuela and the capture of the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The legal authority for the attack, which echoed the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of leader Manuel Antonio Noriega, was not immediately clear. The U.S. government does not recognize Maduro, who last appeared on state television Friday while meeting with a delegation of Chinese officials in Caracas.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges that include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Trump said the U.S. plans to run Venezuela until a transition of power can take place.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said from Mar-a-Lago.

From questions of legality and straight up condemnation to praise, Arizona state leaders had strong reactions to the actions of the Trump administration.

Arizona leaders pour on reaction to US Venezuela strike, Trump follow-up

Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego was among the most vocal on social media, posting as early as 1 a.m. on X about “no reason” for the U.S. to be at war with Venezuela.

Though Trump in his post-strike comments said he didn’t think there was going to be a “second wave” of attacks, Gallego said “no matter the outcome, we are in the wrong for starting this war.”

He continued his condemnation of the move, especially the fact that U.S. military looks to be occupying the South American nation, by emphasizing his writing of a “War Powers Resolution.”

“I said Trump wanted to start a war, and now he’s saying we’re going to occupy Venezuela. Enough. I authored a War Powers Resolution to hold the Trump administration accountable for its illegal actions in Venezuela. I’m going to force a vote. Only Congress has the authority to take this country to war,” Gallego said.

Fellow state Senator Mark Kelly shared a similar sentiment to Gallego in a released statement, saying the Trump administration doesn’t have “a plan, timeline or price tag for what comes next.”

Kelly referred to Maduro as “a brutal, illegitimate dictator who deserves to face justice,” but in the same breath pointed to how destruction “doesn’t guarantee democracy” will win out.

“I want the people of Venezuela to be free to choose their own future, but if we learned anything from the Iraq War, it’s that dropping bombs or toppling a leader doesn’t guarantee democracy, stability or make Americans safer,” Kelly said.

District 5 Congressman Andy Biggs, a Republican candidate for the 2026 gubernatorial race, congratulated Trump and his office for carrying out the operation.

“Today’s action in Venezuela is a reminder that President Trump is a man of his word and he will not hesitate to do what he believes is best for the American people,” Biggs said on X. “I’m confident we will learn more in the coming days and together with President Trump we will continue to advance our America First agenda.”

District 4 Congressman Greg Stanton referenced “decades of bad foreign policy decisions” in America while calling out Trump’s action as illegal on X.

“The President’s actions are not only illegal, but they also reflect decades of bad policy foreign policy decisions where regime change has quickly led to chaos or worse conditions,” Stanton said. “We cannot let U.S. foreign policy serve as a green light for authoritarians around the world who seek to dominate their own neighbors by force, especially countries like Russia and China.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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