U.S. Representative Gabe Evans has issued a statement following the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as part of Operation Resolute Resolution.
“For years, the drug trafficking and violence driven by Nicolás Maduro’s regime have caused deep harm.
Today, the United States is a safer country. As the only Latino in Colorado’s Congressional delegation in Washington, I know that today Colorado and our nation are safer. The arrest of Maduro represents justice and sends a clear message: no criminal leader is above the law.
This action protects working families, our immigrant communities, and all Hispanics who have suffered from drug trafficking, corruption, and violent gangs.
The United States stands with the Venezuelan people and all peoples of Latin America who long to live without fear, without cartels, and with a future of peace and dignity,” said Evans.
Federal investigations over several years have identified Nicolás Maduro as leading the Cartel of the Suns, an alleged drug trafficking network involving high-ranking officials in Venezuela. U.S. prosecutors have accused Maduro of coordinating large-scale cocaine shipments, collaborating with Colombia’s FARC—designated as a terrorist organization—and facilitating weapons transfers as well as international narcotics operations. In March 2020, he was formally charged in New York’s Southern District with crimes including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.
In Colorado, federal authorities recently charged leaders and members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua with serious offenses such as racketeering conspiracy under RICO statutes, armed robberies, kidnappings, firearms violations, and violent attacks on local businesses. These cases are part of broader federal efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations operating within U.S. borders.
Evans has noted that weaknesses in national security policies allowed foreign regimes and criminal networks to exploit vulnerabilities by bringing drugs and violence into American communities. Drawing on his background as an Army combat veteran and former police officer with over twenty years’ service, Evans supports strong actions to improve national security measures at the border and protect working families—including Hispanic residents in Colorado’s Eighth District—from organized crime.
To further these efforts, Evans introduced bipartisan legislation this year aimed at combating transnational repression within the United States. The Support for Law Enforcement Act Against Transnational Repression seeks to enhance coordination between federal and local authorities while increasing public awareness and connecting victims of foreign intimidation with federal support resources.
The bill is intended to safeguard diaspora communities—including Colorado’s Hispanic population—from threats or violence by criminal networks or authoritarian regimes attempting to operate inside U.S. territory. This initiative aligns with ongoing federal strategies focused on accountability for transnational criminals so that American communities can be free from organized crime influence.
