Eric Adams blasts Biden-Harris admin after Nicolas Maduro's arrest: 'America is safer today'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams publicly broke ranks with top Democrats over the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, sharply criticizing Kamala Harris and the Biden administration while praising President Donald Trump’s decision.

Adams’ remarks came just days after he posted a defiant social media video celebrating what he described as his freedom from government office, and as Democrats nationwide clashed over the legality and consequences of the dramatic overnight operation that brought Maduro into US custody.

Eric Adams stresses 'public safety is not a political game'

By the weekend, Adams had weighed in forcefully, thanking Trump for what he described as a long-overdue blow to international d**g cartels and Maduro's regime.

“I have seen firsthand how Nicolas Maduro destroyed Venezuela and turned it into a narco-state. Millions fled. Thousands landed in New York City,” Adams said in a statement.

“Now in US custody, the man who helped flood our streets with fentanyl is finally being held accountable. American lives were destroyed because of him,” he added. 

Adams’ comments were aimed squarely at fellow Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, who condemned the operation and said Maduro’s detention “does not make America safer.”

Harris also argued that the arrest was “both unlawful and unwise,” adding that “the American people do not want this.”

“Public safety is not a political game,” Adams shot back. “You do not label someone a narco-dictator one year and then pretend he is no longer a threat the next simply because a different president is in office. That is cynical and irresponsible.”

Eric Adams' critique mentions Biden-era bounty on Nicolas Maduro

Adams also pointed out that just days before leaving office, the Biden administration increased the US bounty on Maduro from $10 million, first set during the Obama administration, to $25 million.

That decision, Adams argued, undercut Democratic claims that Trump’s move was reckless or unprecedented.

The former mayor and former NYPD officer said the consequences of Maduro’s regime were not abstract for New York City, citing real-world cases tied to fentanyl trafficking.

Among them was the death of two-year-old Bronx boy Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, whom Adams referenced as a victim of the broader d**g crisis he linked to Venezuela’s narco-state.

“America is safer today because Maduro is no longer in power,” Adams said. “Welcome to New York, Nicolas.”

Zohran Mamdani calls Trump's operation in Venezuela an 'act of war'

Adams’ stance placed him directly at odds with his successor, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who condemned the operation and described it as a dangerous escalation.

The democratic socialist said he personally called Trump to “register my opposition” after learning of the capture.

“I was briefed this morning on the US military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City,” Mamdani said in a statement. 

“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law,” he added. “This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home.”

The former Queens state assemblyman said his administration would continue monitoring the situation and issue guidance to residents.