Rick Scott warns Venezuela's Maduro against arresting opposition leader: 'There will be hell to pay'

Florida Senator Rick Scott is warning Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro against moving forward with the arrest of Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition's presidential candidate in the contested July elections, after a warrant was issued by a government-friendly court on Monday.

"This is a line in the sand, and if Maduro and his buddies cross it, there will be hell to pay," Scott said in a publication on X. He also criticized the Biden administration for the current scenario, saying its "appeasement policies emboldened Maduro and his thuggish regime, resulting in an attempt to steal the election from President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia."

The senator also urged for the passing of a bill of his authoring, which would ban federal agencies from "doing business with anyone that supports the oppressive Maduro regime." The initiative was co-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio and, Democrat Jacky Rosen and Thom Tillis, from Nevada.

"It's time to pass my BOLIVAR Act and cut ties with ANYONE supporting the murderous Maduro regime. The world is watching, and so are the people of Venezuela. It's clear Edmundo won, and Maduro is scared to death of the fight for freedom and democracy that's happening all across Venezuela," Scott concluded in his publication.

The warrant was shared by Attorney General Tarek William Saab on Instagram, showing Urrutia accused of "serious crimes." González Urrutia and another top opposition leader, María Corina Machado, have been in hiding following the elections due to fear of being arrested. Maduro has called for the arrest of both.

U.S. authorities are seemingly on track to increase their pressure on Maduro, seizing on Monday the aircraft used by Maduro for personal and official purposes. Authorities cited violations of U.S. sanctions and other criminal activities for their decision, with the plane flown to Florida from the Dominican Republic.

Moreover, a recent Bloomberg report said authorities are close to finalizing new sanctions on Venezuelan government officials. According to the outlet, the Treasury Department is close to announcing "15 individual sanctions on Maduro-affiliated officials." The official argument is that they "obstructed the holding of free and fair presidential elections," as the government claimed to have won the presidential elections despite not showing supporting documentation to back its claim.

Among those set to be sanctioned are members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and law enforcement agencies. The outlet added that the decision could be announced as soon as this week.