Secretary of State Marco Rubio sharply criticized Kamala Harris and other Democrats on Sunday after they denounced the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, arguing their outrage ignored years of similar rhetoric and policies under Democratic leadership, as reported by The New York Post.

Rubio made the remarks following Harris’s public condemnation of a U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a nighttime raid in Venezuela.

Critics, including Rubio, noted that the Biden administration had previously placed a substantial bounty on Maduro’s capture but never followed through with enforcement.

“There had been a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture,” Rubio told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on Sunday.

“So, we have a reward for his capture, but we’re not going to enforce it?” Rubio continued, adding, “That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else … President Trump did something about it.”

The operation, carried out early Saturday morning, was dubbed Operation Absolute Reserve. U.S. special forces captured Maduro and Flores near Fort Tiuna, a heavily fortified military complex in Caracas.

President Trump said American troops breached the compound’s defenses “in a matter of seconds.”

Harris, the failed 2024 presidential candidate, responded within hours of the announcement, posting on X to criticize the mission.

“That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise,” Harris wrote.

“We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.”

She further alleged the operation was motivated by “oil” and “Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman,” rather than national security concerns.

Rubio rejected those claims during multiple Sunday appearances, stating the United States does not need Venezuela’s oil but does have an interest in preventing its vast reserves from falling under the control of hostile foreign powers.

The controversy also revived past Democratic statements on Maduro.

Former President Joe Biden faced renewed scrutiny after a 2020 post resurfaced in which he wrote, “Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolas Maduro. As President, I will stand with the Venezuelan people and for democracy.”

The debate extended to Capitol Hill. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticized the operation during CNN’s “State of the Union,” calling it an “invasion” and accusing President Trump of launching an “illegal war.”

“Listen, Venezuela is not a security threat to the United States,” Murphy told host Dana Bash.

“They’re not threatening to invade us. There is no terrorist group like al Qaeda operating there that has plans to attack the United States.”

Bash then cited a 2019 Washington Post op-ed written by Murphy in which he stated, “There should no longer be any debate about Maduro’s lack of democratic legitimacy … The Trump administration is right to put restoring Venezuelan democracy at the center of our approach to this crisis.”

Murphy responded by saying the article was largely critical of what he described as early “saber-rattling” by the Trump administration.

According to U.S. officials, roughly 150 aircraft participated in Operation Absolute Reserve.

Precision strikes were conducted around Caracas, including at Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, Port La Guaira, Higuerote Airport, and Fuerte Tiuna. The operation lasted just under two and a half hours.

President Trump said no American troops were killed. Venezuelan officials reported at least 40 deaths, including soldiers and civilians. An undisclosed number of U.S. service members were wounded and are expected to recover.

Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were transported to the United States and are being held at the Brooklyn Detention Center, where Maduro is expected to face federal narco-terrorism charges.

Maduro assumed power in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chávez and declared victory in the 2018 presidential election. Venezuela’s National Assembly declared in 2019 that his presidency was illegitimate.

After Maduro again claimed victory in the July 2024 election, the United States and several other nations refused to recognize him as Venezuela’s lawful leader.