Marco Rubio warns that Washington is prepared to use force against Venezuela. (Photo: X/@eleccionescolom)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday warned that the Trump administration is prepared to use military force against Venezuela if its acting leadership fails to meet Washington’s expectations, escalating pressure on Caracas following the recent capture of former president Nicolás Maduro.
In prepared testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio stressed that while the United States is not at war with Venezuela, the option of additional force remains firmly on the table.
“We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” Rubio said, according to his opening statement released by the State Department. “It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this hemisphere.”
Rubio said Venezuela’s interim leadership has so far cooperated with US authorities but warned that any deviation from American demands could trigger further military action. The remarks come weeks after a US-led operation in Caracas that resulted in Maduro’s capture and transfer to New York to face federal charges, including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Rubio maintained that the operation was a law-enforcement action, not an act of war.
“There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” he said. “There are no US troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement.”
The hearing exposed deep divisions in Congress over the administration’s Venezuela strategy. Republicans largely defended President Donald Trump’s actions as constitutional and necessary to protect US interests, while Democrats questioned the legality and long-term costs of the intervention.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch praised the administration, saying the actions were “limited in scope” and firmly within the president’s Article II powers as commander-in-chief.
By contrast, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen warned that the naval blockade and military raids have already cost US taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, while much of the former regime’s power structure remains intact.
While continuing operations against what the administration labels “narcotraffickers,” US officials are simultaneously working to normalise relations with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. Rubio made clear, however, that her cooperation is non-negotiable.
“Rodríguez is well aware of the fate of Maduro,” Rubio said, adding that Washington believes her “self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives.”
Those objectives include opening Venezuela’s energy sector to US companies, granting preferential access to oil production, redirecting oil revenues toward American goods, and ending subsidised oil exports to Cuba.
Rodríguez said Tuesday that her government has established “respectful and courteous channels of communication” with the Trump administration and is working on a “practical agenda” with US officials.
Her government has already released hundreds of political prisoners. A Venezuelan human rights group said at least 266 detainees have been freed since early January, a move Trump publicly praised as a “powerful humanitarian gesture.”
In a significant diplomatic shift, the State Department has formally notified Congress that it plans to send additional diplomatic and support personnel to Caracas to prepare for the possible reopening of the US Embassy, which has remained closed since 2019.
Fully restoring diplomatic relations would require Washington to revoke its recognition of Venezuela’s 2015 parliament as the country’s legitimate governing body.
Rubio is also scheduled to meet Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado later Wednesday at the State Department, underscoring continued US engagement with democratic alternatives following Maduro’s ouster.
Machado, who spent years in hiding after contesting the 2024 presidential election, reemerged last year to receive a Nobel Peace Prize and has since aligned herself with US-backed political efforts.
The administration’s campaign has also triggered legal challenges. Families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a US boat strike have filed what is believed to be the first wrongful-death lawsuit linked to the operation. Since September, dozens of maritime strikes in the region have reportedly killed more than 120 people.
Despite mounting criticism, Rubio defended the administration’s approach, insisting that Washington remains committed to enforcing cooperation by force if necessary.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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