Secretary of State Marco Rubio is defending a U.S. mission that ended in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, saying it was in the best interest of the United States.
Speaking Sunday on NBC News’ "Meet the Press," Rubio said the U.S. is “at war against drug trafficking organizations,” but not Venezuela specifically. Amid lingering questions about who is now in charge of the Venezuelan government, Rubio also rejected the idea that the U.S. would take over — a notion President Donald Trump floated a day earlier.
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"Here's the bottom line on it: we expect to see changes in Venezuela," Rubio said. "Changes of all kinds — long-term and short-term — we'd love to see all kinds of changes. But the most immediate changes are the ones that are in the national interest of the United States. That's why we're involved here — because of how it applies and has a direct impact on the United States."
"We are not going to be able to allow — in our hemisphere — a country that becomes a crossroads for the activities of all of our adversaries around the world," he added. "We just can't allow it. We can't have a country where the people in charge of its military and in charge of its police department are openly cooperating with drug trafficking organizations. We're not going to allow that. These things are direct threats to the United States and we intend to use every element of leverage that we have to ensure that changes."
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured Saturday at their home in Caracas during an overnight operation carried out by U.S. special forces. The couple was then promptly flown to New York City to face charges related to narco-terrorism.
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A video posted to social media by a White House account showed Maduro smiling as he was being escorted by law enforcement through a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office. He is set to make his first court appearance on Monday in Manhattan's federal court.
Perp walked.pic.twitter.com/34iIsFUDdG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 4, 2026
Maduro had previously been indicted in 2020 for drug-related charges. At the time, the U.S. had offered up to a $15 million reward for Maduro's arrest. That amount has since been increased to $50 million.
The Trump administration has for months been building up military forces in the region and carrying out strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. President Trump has justified the attacks as crucial to stemming the flow of drugs into the U.S.
