Political candidates’ views lopsided in favor of strike
Anyone who follows world news knows by now that the U.S. launched a mission last Saturday to capture Venezuela’s leader, President Nicolas Maduro.
But what may be surprising to some, maybe not, is that the two elected Democrats representing parts of the RGV in the U.S. House of Representatives have endorsed the mission.
So, too, has the Republican house member representing a part of South Texas, District 15’s Monica De La Cruz.
The Democrat trying to unseat her, however, Tejano musician turned politician Bobby Pulido says he’s worried about how Saturday’s attack against a sovereign country may affect the future of his children.
President Trump announced the take down of Maduro on his Truth Social media platform early Saturday morning: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement.”
What happens now? On Saturday, President Trump said, “The U.S. is going to run Venezuela until such a time that we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
He also said that he is not ruling out sending “boots on the ground” to the country of approximately 30 million, same as Texas, and roughly the size of Texas and Florida combined in terms of land mass.
The two elected Democrats representing parts of the RGV, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, have now said publicly that they support the mission, as has the lone Republican representing the Valley, Monica de la Cruz.
War is a Racket
After Saturday’s capture of Maduro, which reportedly cost the lives of approximately 80 Venezuelans -- including military personnel, security forces, and civilians -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear on Sunday morning talk shows that the U.S. is not at “war” with Venezuela, but rather, it’s a war against “drug trafficking organizations.”
Some Democrats jumped all over that.
Said Chris Murphy, a U.S. senator from Connecticut: “They literally lied to our face,” said Murphy, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, on Sunday, referring to a briefing on Venezuela that Rubio gave to his chamber last month.
“The message they sent was that this wasn’t about regime change … They said this is just a counter-narcotics operation.”
What isn’t in dispute, however, is that oil is definitely a part of the equation in Venezuela and it’s tied to American interests.
Trump had this to say Saturday during a press conference: “
We’re going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth (oil) out of the ground.”
Not only that, but: “It won’t cost us anything because the money coming out of the ground is very substantial.”
There’s a book written in 1935 by a well-decorated Marine general named Smedley Butler, who was a two-time winner of the Medal of Honor (the highest military decoration). It speaks of wars or military engagements fought for dubious purposes, or more to the point: wars always turn a profit.
The general’s book, “War Is a Racket,” is still available for sale in most book stores, or online at Amazon or Barnes.
The book’s foreword, gives readers an idea of Butler’s sardonic outlook on life in general, and politics in particular, shoring up the critics who say that Saturday’s attack on Venezuela was all about grabbing money for the Big Oil donor class that supported the president and MAGA in the 2024 election.
An advocacy group, Climate Power, released a report last January that ran this headline: “Big Oil Spent $450 million to influence Trump and the 119th Congress.”
For a retired Marine general like Smedley Butler, money is what drives our foreign policy.
In the forward to his book, “War Is a Racket,” Butler tied together the pieces – money and politics: “I spent 33 years and four months in active military service, and during that period I spent most of my time as a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.
“I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in.
“I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916.”
Still, General Butler had more to add: “I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”
War, no war, one may call it what they like with regard to Trump’s attack on Venezuela this past Saturday, but clearly, he’s got support from the Democrat side of the aisle as evidenced below.
The Republican leading the charge to unseat Henry Cuellar, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, hadn’t yet made a public comment as of this Monday – support, no support – nor has the female Republican trying to unseat Vicente Gonzalez, Mayra Flores.
Meanwhile, those who have made public comments are listed below. Two of the three Democrats running in the 2026 race fully support the president’s plan:
District 15
Incumbent Monica De La Cruz (R-TX)
“Nicolás Maduro ran a narco- state that flooded our southern border with deadly drugs that killed thousands of Texans and countless Americans. He faced criminal indictments under three administrations of both parties and was given every opportunity to step down peacefully. He chose otherwise. Now he will face justice in American courts. I’m grateful to our troops and pray today’s actions bring lasting peace to our hemisphere.”
Candidate Bobby Pulido (D-TX)
“Perspective is everything. If you are Venezuelan, Cuban, or from another country run by a dictator, you’re very happy. If you’re from Mexico, and despise the current and last administration, you’re also very happy. Why wouldn’t you be? You see things through the lens of right vs left.
“But if you’re American, and you’ve lived long enough to see us constantly fight wars that later you find out was because of money, oil, religion, or any other excuse other than our own defense, where many Americans have lost their lives…..you become very skeptical about our motives in the world.
“I’m happy for the Venezuelan people. I really am. But I worry for my country and for my sons’ future.”
U.S. Congress candidate Dr. Ada Cuellar (no relation to Henry Cuellar)
“We all agree with stopping narcotraffickers, but Monica De La Cruz is lying again. The fentanyl that is poisoning Americans is largely coming from China and Mexico, not Venezuela. Trump duped MAGA, and is committing the United States to a foreign entanglement for oil. Trump acted alone without Congress because politicians like De La Cruz refuse to stand up to him. We need new representation in Washington that’s going to stand up and ask tough questions, and hold Trump accountable. We need someone who will fight to focus on the issues he is distracting from, like healthcare costs skyrocketing and how his tariffs are making Americans pay more for what they need. That’s why I’m running for Congress.”
District 28
Incumbent Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
“Thirty-five years ago, the United States arrested Manuel Noriega, an indicted foreign leader tied to drug traffick-ing— an episode that underscored the importance of the rule of law even in times of conflict. Today’s capture of Nicolás Maduro, along with highly targeted strikes against narco-terrorist infrastructure, draws that historical parallel and reminds us that American strength lies not only in decisive action, but in restraint, judgment, and adherence to law.
“Today is an important moment for democracy, peace, and the future of children across Latin America and the United States. It offers hope to countless victims of narco-violence and supports our friends in Mexico and throughout the region who seek to live without fear, corruption, or criminal control.”
District 34
Incumbent Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX)
“The world witnessed an extraordinary operation that was executed by our CIA and military. For that, I am grateful. However, any further military intervention by the United States must receive congressional authorization.
“Since 2020, Nicolás Maduro has been under indictment by a Federal Court in the Southern District of New York—and it was important that he be brought to justice. Let this be a clear message of the United States’ commitment to combating narco-terrorism around the globe.”
GOP Senators Cornyn, Cruz
As would be expected, both U.S. senators representing Texas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, were “all in” when it came to the U.S. capture of Maduro and his wife.
Said U.S. Senator John Cornyn, “Kudos to President Donald Trump. Maduro was not only an illegitimate President of Venezuela, he was the head of the Cartel de los Soles, a major drug trafficking network involving high-ranking Venezuelan military officers and government officials.”
The U.S. allegation that the Cartel of the Suns constitutes a formal organization or organized network led by Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, however, has generally been rejected by independent experts as unsubstantiated. (Source: BBC.)
Cornyn, however, remains convinced that Maduro is a drug kingpin and a supporter of global terror: “He has been indicted in the Southern District of New York for narco-terrorism conspiracy and other crimes. His association with the Iranian regime and its proxy, Hezbollah, helped fund terrorism in South America and the Middle East, and he was complicit with the ‘ghost fleets’ of Russia, Iran, and China, used to evade US sanctions and fund the Russian war on Ukraine.”
Ted Cruz, too, was happy with Saturday’s outcome: “Maduro facilitated, enabled, and profited from flooding the United States with drugs that injured and killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. Removing him from power will save countless lives and serve as a warning to all others targeting Americans.”
A stalwart supporter of the president, Cruz heaped praise upon the Venezuelan mission: “I applaud President Trump for his leadership, and I am deeply grateful to our servicemembers for their execution of this operation. Heidi and I are praying in thanks and for the quick and full recovery of our injured.”
Dem Opponents
The two leading Democrats trying to unseat Sen. Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Texas Rep. James Talarico, spoke out against the strike against Venezuela: Crockett: “This is when we see who is serious about their oath & who isn’t. This president continues to exceed his powers because Republicans care more about a pat on the head than they do being patriots. Our troops, our land, our citizens, and our standing in the world, are all being put at risk!
“If Republicans are so supportive of his acts, then he could have come to Congress for approval… but he’s been allowed to unconstitutionally grab immigrants, then U.S. citizens off the streets because too many people continue to pretend like this is nothing more than a game!”
Also opposing the president’s actions, state representative Talarico (from the Austin area) had this to say: “Last year, Trump promised American oil executives ‘a great deal’ if they donated (a lot of money) to his campaign.
“Today, he gave them Venezuela — home to the largest oil reserves in the world. The president is putting American troops in harm’s way for a deeply corrupt deal.”