Lawmakers around the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania are reacting to the U.S. military strike Saturday that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Statements released by the state’s congressional delegation ranged the gamut from full support for President Donald Trump’s action, to outright criticism, to concerns over how the United States will handle the transition of power in Venezuela.

Many Democrats criticized Trump for authorizing the strike without congressional approval, while most Republicans lauded the action.

Below is a running list of statements and social media posts released by lawmakers:

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-7th District

The Lehigh Valley’s congressman, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Western Affairs Subcommittee, praised Trump for taking action that “quickly achieved its action.”

“The capture of Nicolás Maduro is a decisive victory for U.S. security and regional stability,” Mackenzie said in a statement. “Maduro was an illegitimate dictator and narcoterrorist who funneled drugs into the United States — killing countless young Americans. As a result of this operation, the United States, the western hemisphere, and the broader world are safer and more secure.”

Mackenzie also thanked “American servicemembers for their bravery, ingenuity, and success” in carrying out the strike. “We are grateful that there have not been any immediate fatalities among our armed forces,” he said.

Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th District

Like many in her party, the Chester County Democrat blasted the action and said Trump should instead be focused on domestic issues such as the economy and health care.

“Instead they have attacked an oil-rich country and are planning to ‘manage’ it,” she said in a post on X. “This is a naked and reckless attempt to enrich the already rich, and to distract the American public. It presents a grave danger for our troops, and for us all.”

In her post, Houlahan also shared a statement from House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith critical of the strike.

We need President Trump to focus on the crucial issues affecting Americans. He and his administration need to attack increasingly high prices, our unstable economy and the healthcare crisis.

Instead they have attacked an oil-rich country and are planning to “manage” it. This is… https://t.co/GUMJqzSE1J

— Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) January 3, 2026

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8th District

The northeast Pennsylvania Republican was blunt in his assessment of Maduro, calling him a “thug who stole an election and ran a narcoterrorist regime” that “spread violence, drugs, and chaos that cost thousands of American lives.”

“Our troops are the best in the world, and I am grateful to those who carried out this mission with unmatched skill and bravery,” Bresnahan continued in a post on X.

Nicolás Maduro is a thug who stole an election and ran a narcoterrorist regime disguised as a government that spread violence, drugs, and chaos that cost thousands of American lives. The world is safer today because the United States acted decisively and stood up to evil.

Our…

— Congressman Rob Bresnahan Jr. (@RepBresnahan) January 3, 2026

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, D

The Democratic mayor sounded a note of cautious optimism while speaking to a gathering of Venezuelans at the La Bicicleta restaurant in Allentown on Saturday.

“We are celebrating today the end, but not necessarily the end, but the beginning of the end of a dictatorship in Venezuela,” Tuerk said. “This is the beginning of a process that is going to take some time, but today, it’s a day of celebration.”

He echoed those remarks in a post on Facebook, but also was more critical of the U.S. action and said Maduro’s ouster should have been led from within Venezuela.

“Maduro’s removal only begins a process of liberation, which should be led by the Venezuelan people,” Tuerk said. “They voted for Machado in 2024, and that’s how Maduro and his administration should have gone out. Instead, the US infiltrated, arrested Maduro, and now says we will run the county. I wish those resources were committed to domestic policy.”

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9th District

The Schuylkill County Republican, known for his vocal support of Trump, cited the action as an example of the president’s “focus on protecting American lives and confronting evil that threatens our country.”

“I commend the brave men and women of the United States military who carried out this mission with precision and courage,” Meuser continued in a Facebook post. “Their actions reflect the strength and resolve of our nation.”

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D

The Democratic U.S. senator, who has backed Trump on other foreign policy actions such as the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, also supported the action in Venezuela.

“Grateful for our U.S. military personnel that handled these orders in Venezuela with precision,” Fetterman said in a Facebook post. “I maintain that we have the STRONGEST and MOST LETHAL military in the world — today proves that even more.”

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District

The Bucks County congressman, who has sometimes been at odds with Trump on foreign policy issues, praised the action, calling Maduro an “illegitimate narco-terror dictator” whose ouster and prosecution are “long overdue.”

“He terrorized his people, dismantled democratic institutions, and turned the machinery of government into a state-backed criminal enterprise — exporting drugs and cartel violence into the United States, with devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of American lives,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

However, he expressed caution on Venezuela’s future after Trump said the United States would be running the country until a transition of power takes place.

“The only country that the United States of America should be ‘running’ is the United States of America,” Fitzpatrick said. “The United States should join the international community in monitoring and overseeing a free and fair election in Venezuela, allowing the Venezuelan people a pathway to a true democracy. “

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R

Pennsylvania’s other U.S. senator, a Republican, also praised the action to remove Maduro.

“For years Maduro’s regime killed our children by flooding America’s streets with poison, threatened our borders, and undermined U.S. national security,” McCormick said in a post on X. “I urge what’s left of the Maduro regime to honor the will of the Venezuelan people and transition peacefully to rightfully elected leadership.”

Congratulations to @POTUS and his team and to our brave troops for this flawlessly executed mission to remove the illegitimate dictator Nicolas Maduro. For years Maduro’s regime killed our children by flooding America’s streets with poison, threatened our borders, and undermined…

— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) January 3, 2026

This story will be updated.