U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, following the lead of President Donald Trump’s anti-drug policy, is introducing legislation to target Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and suspected drug trafficking under his regime.
At a Friday news conference in Doral, Moody announced the introduced two bills — the Stop Maduro Act and BOLIVAR Act. The Maduro Act would authorize a $100 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest. The BOLIVAR Act would prevent the U.S. government from contracting companies that do business with the Venezuelan government.
Moody described the proposed measures during a panel discussion Friday with Venezuelan American leaders, Miami-Dade law enforcement officials and former Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó.
“Narcoterrorism is a war on our country, our kids, and law and order. These terrorists smuggle overwhelming amounts of deadly drugs into our country and sell this poison destabilizing our communities,” Moody said.
READ MORE: Venezuelan gang expert: U.S. risks casualties of innocents with Caribbean military anti-drug mission
“The cartels were emboldened and strengthened under the Biden administration, but thankfully President Trump has taken strong action against these terrorist organizations,” she added.
These initiatives happen as the United States builds its naval presence in the Caribbean, striking suspected drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
In recent weeks, Trump has dispatched a fleet of American warships into the waters off Venezuela, bragged about fatal strikes on alleged drug boats and claimed Venezuela will pay an “incalculable” price if it won't accept more people deported from the U.S.
The unusual naval buildup off South America has stoked fears of invasion in Venezuela and speculation that Trump could try to topple Maduro, who has lost support in his own country and faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.
The deadly boat strikes and naval buildup have raised questions in Congress and some countries about Trump’s goals in the region and whether they stretch beyond what he says is stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. Some lawmakers and rights groups have questioned the legality of using deadly military attacks against alleged drug traffickers, while voicing concerns over how much force Trump may choose to deploy without congressional approval.
“We’ve recently begun using the supreme power of the United States military to destroy Venezuelan terrorists and trafficking networks led by Nicolás Maduro,” Trump said at the U.N. this week. “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.”
Senators from both parties view the strikes as potential presidential overreach, while Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced War Powers Resolutions that would require a halt to military actions without further approvals.
Rep. Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat, said Trump “cannot be allowed to drag the United States into another endless war with his reckless actions.”
The Trump administration has claimed self-defense as a justification, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing the drug cartels “pose an immediate threat” to the nation.
The administration has declared several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, while congressional authorization for military force remains in effect for the so-called Global War on Terror. The administration could try to rely on that authorization, but it would most certainly face objections in Congress.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
