Texas leaders and state lawmakers’ reactions poured in Saturday after President Donald Trump announced Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured and flown out of the country en route to New York.

Trump said the United States had carried out a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela during an overnight military operation.

Maduro has been under indictment in the U.S. since 2020 for narcoterrorism.

During his remarks from Mar-a-Lago late Saturday morning, Trump said the U.S. would “run the country” of Venezuela until a safe transition of power happens.

Texas has the second-largest population of Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S., behind Florida, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. An estimated 122,000 Venezuelans live in Texas, with approximately 20,000 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.    

Governor Greg Abbott

Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the Trump administration by reposting a social media post from the White House on the operation to capture Maduro. Abbott’s caption read, “Maduro is an indicted narco terrorist. His drug trafficking operation cost the lives of many Americans. His release of Tren de Aragua gang members from VZ prisons terrorized American communities & killed my fellow Texans. Texas and the world are better because of his capture. God bless our United States military, and their commander-in-chief, Donald Trump.”

Attorney General Ken Paxton

Attorney General Ken Paxton shared a post from Vice President JD Vance, in which Vance said, “The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.”

In a caption along with the post, Paxton called the Trump administration’s actions, “strong work.”

Senator John Cornyn

Following Trump’s press conference from Mar-a-Lago, Sen. John Cornyn gave his “kudos” to the president.

“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. 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.”

Senator Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement where he too applauded the president.

“The Venezuelan regime has for decades posed an acute threat to the national security of the United States and the safety and security of Americans, and Nicolás Maduro himself was a corrupt dictator and thug who systematically oppressed the people of Venezuela and threatened America and our allies. Domestically, he was straightforwardly illegitimate. Internationally, he supported American enemies across the globe, Islamist terrorists, and narcoterrorists. 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. From the opening months of my time serving in the Senate, I have worked to counter Maduro’s threat to the American people, secure legitimate rule in Venezuela, and restore the country as an American ally within the Western Hemisphere. 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.”

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

In opposition, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, of Dallas, said, “Trump promised no ‘new stupid wars,’ yet he’s starting one with Venezuela without congressional approval. People can’t afford groceries and millions are losing health care, but this is where his focus is. This is unconstitutional and not what the American people asked for.”

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher

Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, of Houston, also called out Trump’s actions for violating the United States Constitution, saying it “sets a dangerous precedent for national sovereignty.”

In a statement, Fletcher said, “President Maduro’s authoritarian government was illegitimate and oppressive.  But President Trump’s statements today made clear that be believes he has the unilateral authority to depose foreign leaders and take over foreign countries.  He does not. The Constitution gives the Congress—the representatives of the American people—the sole authority and the solemn responsibility to declare war.  The Trump administration did not seek Congress’ authority to launch the strikes on Venezuela and Congress did not authorize it.  The multiple rationales the administration put forward to justify its actions raised more questions than they answered. The Trump administration must immediately and fully brief Congress and answer questions from the representatives of the American people.  Americans deserve transparency, accountability, and leadership that honors and protects our democratic system of government, our Constitution, our fellow citizens, and our national security.” 

More from CBS News