Senator Collins’ Statement on the Arrest of Nicolas Maduro

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement in response to the U.S. operation that resulted in the successful arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro:
“Nicolas Maduro is a narco-terrorist and international drug trafficker who has been indicted twice in U.S. courts and who should stand trial in this country.
“I was personally briefed by Secretary Rubio this morning. While there is still much we don’t know, this mission appears to have been a limited scope operation, run in conjunction with law enforcement, that effectively apprehended an international criminal.
“Congress should have been informed about the operation earlier and needs to be involved as this situation evolves. Maduro was a ruthless dictator who was not considered to be the legitimate leader of Venezuela by both the Biden and Trump administrations as well as by the European Union. The long-term success of today’s operation will depend on our ability to work with international and private sector partners.”
###