E-Paper
Marco Rubio calls out Kamala Harris' hypocrisy after she ripped Trump over Maduro's capture, ‘they had a $25mn reward…’
Marco Rubio criticized Kamala Harris and Democrats for opposing the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday blasted former US Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats for denouncing the US operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Rubio contended that the Biden administration had been pursuing his arrest for an extended period but had not taken action, even after offering a multimillion-dollar reward for his capture.
Harris promptly condemned the Operation Absolute Reserve after US special forces captured Maduro and his wife.
Taking to X, Harris wrote: “That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.”
She additionally claimed that the mission was motivated by “oil” and President Donald Trump’s ambition to act as the “regional strongman.”
Also Read: What happened at JD Vance's Ohio home? Secret Service and police arrive in Cincinnati, one held
Rubio rejects Harris' claims
Rubio dismissed these assertions during his appearances on Sunday news programs, stating that the United States does not require Venezuela’s oil but aims to prevent its extensive reserves from being controlled by US adversaries.
He highlighted the Biden administration’s $25 million bounty for Maduro’s capture, which has been in place since 2020 following Maduro's indictment on charges such as narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Speaking to NBC News, Rubio, as per NY POST, stated, “In the Biden administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture. So, we have a reward for his capture, but we’re not going to enforce it?”
“That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else … President Trump did something about it.”
Operation Absolute Reserve
During his appearances on Sunday news programs, Rubio consistently stated that the US does not require oil from Venezuela; instead, the focus is on preventing its abundant reserves from falling into the hands of America's adversaries, NY POST reported.
The US special forces on Saturday conducted Operation Absolute Reserve, which resulted in the arrest of the socialist Venezuelan dictator and his spouse, Cilia Flores, 69, from their residence.
Hailing US troops, Trump said that they managed to penetrate the fortifications “in a matter of seconds.”
