GOP Sen. Threatens Maduro: 'You Have To Make a Call: Leave Venezuela Alive Or Dead'

Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno made a threat to Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro as the U.S. continues deploying assets off its coast: "You have to make a call: leave Venezuela alive or dead"

Speaking to La Voz, Moreno also claimed Maduro has been using cocaine: "Drug traffickers don't have to use the substances they sell. Maduro is using a lot of cocaine rather than selling it. He's a crazy man. I never sent him a message but I do it now," the senator said before making the threat.

"There cannot be peace in Colombia and South America if this crazy man doesn't leave. The Venezuelan people are worse off because he's there. They are leaving the country, it's a mess."

Maduro, on his end, said the regime he leads is "standing on the front lines" against "Nazi extremist movements" coming from the north, a reference to the U.S.

"It's a Nazi extremist movement seeking to undermine peace in South America. They intend to continue attacking people's rights around the world," Maduro said.

He went on to say that Venezuela "was attacked by Nazis between 1942 and 1944 in the Caribbean." "Under another narrative, we were attacked by the British empire: they sent 21 ships and our people, who didn't have any resources, stood its ground with sticks, stones, knives, machetes, and we defeated them," he added. "We're not stupid, nor we will ever be."

Tensions continued to escalate during the week, with Venezuelan jets performing flyovers close to U.S. destroyers deployed off the country's coast. In this context, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if such incidents "put is in a dangerous position," they'll be shot down.