South Miami-Dade News

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Florida’s 27th district, recently shared her views on social media regarding a nomination and concerns about organized crime from Venezuela. Her posts reflect her stance on international relations and national security.

On December 12, 2024, Rep. Salazar congratulated Jacob Helberg for his nomination as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. She expressed confidence in his abilities by stating: "¡Felicitaciones a @jacobhelberg por su nominación como subsecretario de Estado para Crecimiento Económico, Energía y Medio Ambiente! Jacob se ha destacado en seguridad nacional, política exterior y tecnología. ¡Creará una agenda económica positiva y será un gran defensor de !"

Later that day, she addressed issues concerning a Venezuelan criminal organization known as Tren de Aragua. In her tweet at 15:40 UTC on December 12, she described them as more than just a gang but rather an organized criminal empire supported by the Maduro regime to destabilize the United States: "Tren de Aragua is not just a criminal migrant gang from Venezuela. They are a state-sponsored, organized criminal empire sent by the Maduro regime to undermine the USA! Maduro lets them out of prison & to the caravans that entered with impunity under Biden. They have to go!"

Shortly after this post, she reiterated her message in Spanish at 15:46 UTC on December 12. She emphasized that Tren de Aragua is an organized criminal empire backed by Chavismo and criticized their integration into caravans entering under current U.S administration policies: "El Tren de Aragua no es solo una banda criminal de migrantes de Venezuela. ¡Es un imperio criminal organizado y patrocinado por el chavismo! Maduro los saca de la prisión y los incorpora a las caravanas que entran con impunidad bajo la Administración Biden. ¡Tienen que irse!"