Another GOP Rep. Backs Deployment Of Warships Off Venezuelan Coast: 'Time To Crush Cartels'

Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar also backed the Trump administration's deployment of warships off the Venezuelan coast, supporting its stated goal of escalating its fight against cartels in Latin America.

"Cartels are poisoning our streets with fentanyl. Marxists are unleashing chaos to destabilize our country. Trump gets it. It's time to crush the cartels, defend the hemisphere and protect our country," the lawmaker said in a social media post.

Salazar joins fellow Florida congressman Carlos Gimenez in actively backing the development. Gimenez has been vocally supporting the development Monday night, and said on Tuesday that he had sources "informing that the Maduro regime is breaking up." "People close to the dictator are turning and others have already fled," he added.

In another publication he claimed that "Maduro's days are numbered," adding that "America will not stand by while this thug tries to flood our country with drugs & ruthlessly murder the brave people of Venezuela." "There's a new sheriff in town & his name is President Donald J. Trump!"

In this context, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump administration "is prepared to use every element of American power" to deal with Venezuela.

Speaking during a press briefing, Leavitt was asked if the administration was considering having "boots on the ground" in the South American country.

"President Trump has been very clear and consistent. He is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice," she began.

"The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco terror cartel. Maduro, in the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. It's a fugitive head of a cartel who has been indicted in the U.S. for trafficking drugs into the country."

The statement follows a report by Reuters, which detailed on Monday that three Aegis guided-missile destroyers will arrive off the coast" of the South American country this week, officially to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

The outlet added that Trump has wanted to use the military to go after Latin American cartels, many of which have been designated as global terrorist organizations.

Maduro has been addressing the developments, saying "the empire has gone mad." He went on to claim that the Trump administration is "fabricating extravagant lies" and "has regurgitated its threats to Venezuela's peace and stability," adding that millions of militia members will be mobilized to address the development.

Originally published on Latin Times

Tags

Republicans, Venezuela, Donald Trump