Congressman Gabe Evans Responds to Operation Absolute Resolve
WASHINGTON — Congressman Gabe Evans released a statement following the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro under Operation Absolute Resolve.
“Every 15 days under the Biden administration, drug overdoses killed more Americans than were lost in the 9/11 attacks.
As the only Latino in Colorado’s congressional delegation to DC, I know that today, Colorado and our nation are now safer.
The arrest of Nicolas Maduro – a narco terrorist responsible for the death of countless Americans, exporting violence via gangs and cartels like Tren de Aragua, corruption, and drug trafficking, – sends a clear message: the United States will not tolerate regimes that poison our people and threaten our national security.
Special thanks to the U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement who worked to secure the federal indictments against Maduro, and to our brave military, who arrested him.”
Background:
Overwhelming evidence and intelligence has pointed to Maduro leading the Cartel de los Soles, a drug-trafficking network involving senior Venezuelan officials. Federal prosecutors allege that Maduro coordinated large-scale cocaine shipments, worked with the Colombian terrorist group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and facilitated weapons transfers and international narcotics trafficking. In March 2020, he was indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and weapons offenses.
In Colorado, federal law enforcement has recently indicted leaders and members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on charges including RICO conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, firearms offenses, and violent attacks on local businesses. These cases are part of a broader federal effort to dismantle transnational criminal organizations operating inside the United States.
Congressman Evans has emphasized that under the disastrous policies of the Biden administration, gangs and criminal networks tied to foreign regimes exploited weak border security and lack of national security enforcement, allowing drugs and violence to spread into American communities. As an army combat veteran, and former cop for a combined 22 years, Congressman Evans supports ongoing federal efforts to restore our national security through border control, dismantling cartels, and protecting families across Colorado including the 8th District’s large Hispanic community, from organized crime.
To further protect Colorado communities from foreign-backed intimidation, organized crime, and authoritarian influence, Congressman Evans has introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at countering transnational repression on U.S. soil. Earlier this year, Evans helped introduce The Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act, which strengthens coordination between federal and local law enforcement, increases public awareness, and connects victims of foreign intimidation and coercion with federal support resources.
The legislation is designed to protect diaspora communities, including Colorado’s large Hispanic population, from threats, harassment, and violence carried out by criminal networks and foreign regimes seeking to operate inside the United States. The bill complements broader federal efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, hold foreign actors accountable, and ensure that American communities remain free from organized crime and authoritarian influence.