GOP Representative Calls for Maduro Regime to Be "Crushed and Eliminated" by the US

South Florida's congressional delegation increased pressure on the Trump administration for the end of the Maduro regime in Venezuela, this time in the voice of Florida Congressman Carlos A. Giménez. The Republican congressman published a new attack against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, using forceful rhetoric in a clear reference to the U.S. military operations in the Caribbean targeting the South American country.

On September 9, 2025, Giménez published a post on X (formerly Twitter) targeting Maduro and his regime, stating, "🚨 Dictator Nicolas Maduro has declared war on the American people. His narco-terrorist regime must be crushed and eliminated once and for all."

The timing of Giménez's comments is significant. They coincide with rising tensions between Venezuela and the United States. The Trump administration has been reinforcing its military base in Puerto Rico, as well as sending warships to Venezuelan waters and ramping up accusations of drug trafficking against the Venezuelan president. In response, Maduro has leveled accusations that Washington is preparing an invasion. In late August, the Venezuelan leader claimed that U.S. warships near Venezuela represented an "act of aggression."

Giménez pushed last year for a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's capture, reinforcing U.S. sanctions and measures targeting the Cartel de los Soles. He has consistently framed Maduro's government as illegitimate.

In June 2024, Giménez co-sponsored a resolution condemning Maduro's government as unlawful, highlighting its record of human rights abuses and electoral fraud. At the time, he said that "Nicolás Maduro must be stopped" and argued that international recognition of Venezuela's opposition was critical to restoring democracy.

Giménez represents Florida's 28th Congressional District, which includes parts of Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys, a region home to a large Venezuelan exile community. His uncompromising stance likely resonates strongly with these voters, many of whom fled under Maduro's rule. According to the latest numbers from the Pew Research Center, 118,000 Venezuelans live in the area, mostly in the city of Doral, where they represent 48% of the population.

He has repeatedly accused the Venezuelan president of working hand in hand with the Cartel de los Soles, a group of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials allegedly involved in cocaine trafficking. In interviews with South Florida media, Giménez has claimed that Maduro's operations have been directly responsible for the deaths of Americans from drug overdoses.

This framing aligns with broader U.S. Justice Department accusations, which in 2020 charged Maduro and several of his close associates with "narco-terrorism" and offered rewards for their capture.

His rhetoric mirrors the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" strategy, which included heavy sanctions and support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó. While that approach did not succeed in dislodging Maduro, Giménez and other Cuban-American lawmakers, like Mario Díaz-Balart and María Elvira Salazar, continue to advocate for aggressive measures, warning that any softening of U.S. policy could embolden Maduro and his allies in Russia, Iran, and China.

Originally published on Latin Times

Tags

Venezuela, Drugs, Cuban, Lawmaker, Marco Rubio, Mafia, Invasion, Warships