Patronis: Northwest Florida-Trained Military Executed Flawless Maduro Arrest

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Northwest Florida's military expertise was on display this week during the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, according to U.S. Congressman Jimmy Patronis.

The operation, which removed Maduro from power, was executed with "no loss of life" and was a "flawless military mission," Patronis said during an appearance on Pensacola's Morning News. The congressman praised the military personnel and called out their local connection.

"All those men and women who pulled all this thing, they were all trained in Northwest Florida," Patronis said. "The best and brightest and most lethal weapons we have in the whole entire United States military come right here from Northwest Florida."

The arrest involved FBI and Department of Justice officials embedded with military teams—making it a law enforcement operation executing an indictment rather than a purely military action, Patronis explained. The Trump administration's approach, he said, focuses on stopping Venezuela's drug trafficking rather than nation-building.

"I'm not going to go fix problems," Patronis said, describing the administration's strategy. "I'm just going to prevent problems...he starts taking out the boats that are bringing the drugs in."

As for Venezuela's future, Patronis expressed cautious optimism but realistic expectations. The Venezuelan population has "been beaten down with fear and oppressed for a generation," he said, and won't transform overnight into a functioning democracy.

"Don't expect quick fixes," Patronis cautioned. "The Venezuelan people need time to recover from decades of dictatorship and oppression."

Patronis suggested Venezuela could hold fair elections for the first time in two decades, but emphasized that recovery will take years, not months. He said Congress is scheduled to receive a briefing from President Trump to hear more details about the administration's long-term vision for the region.