Rubio stands by Venezuela attack, says Trump retains authority to use force

WASHINGTON- Secretary of State Marco Rubio left the door open Wednesday for future U.S. military action in Venezuela, telling lawmakers that while the Trump administration does not plan further escalation, the president retains the authority to use force if Venezuela’s interim leaders or other U.S. adversaries defy U.S. demands.

Rubio’s remarks came hours after President Trump deployed what he called a “massive armada” to pressure Iran to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear weapons program, amid broader questions about how recent U.S. tensions with Denmark over Greenland are affecting U.S. relations with NATO allies.

“The president never precludes his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I can tell you right now with complete certainty: we do not intend to take military action in Venezuela, and we do not intend or intend to do so at any time. »

It was Rubio’s first public testimony before a congressional committee since U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and took him to New York to face drug trafficking charges nearly a month ago. Rubio was pressed by Democratic lawmakers on Congress’ war powers and whether the operation had significantly advanced democracy in Venezuela.

“We’ve exchanged one dictator for another. It’s still the same people running the country,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Interim President Delcy Rodríguez “has taken no steps to diminish the considerable influence of Iran, China or Russia in Venezuela.”

Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, pledged to open Venezuela’s energy sector to U.S. companies, providing preferential access to production and using the revenue to buy U.S. products, according to Rubio’s testimony.

But questions remain about Rodríguez’s alleged links to trafficking networks. The Associated Press reported that she had been on the DEA’s radar for years for her alleged involvement in drug and gold trafficking, although no public criminal charges had been filed.

And despite Trump’s warning that Rodríguez would “pay a very heavy price” if she did not cooperate, she has publicly resisted U.S. pressure on trade policy.

“We have the right to have diplomatic relations with China, with Russia, with Iran, with Cuba, with all the peoples of the world. Also with the United States. We are a sovereign nation,” Rodríguez said earlier this month.

Venezuela is one of the largest recipients of Chinese loans in the world, with more than $100 billion committed over the past decades. Much of this debt was repaid through discounted oil shipments under an oil-for-loans scheme, financing Chinese-backed infrastructure projects and helping to stabilize successive Venezuelan governments.

U.S. military leaders have warned Congress about Iran’s growing strategic presence in the hemisphere, including concerns over ballistic missile capabilities and the provision of attack and surveillance drones to Venezuela.

“If an Iranian drone factory arises and threatens our forces in the region,” Rubio said, “the president retains the option to eliminate it.”

Democrats have also argued that the administration’s broader foreign policy is undermining U.S. economic strength and alliances, particularly in competition with China.

Despite Trump’s tariff campaign, China posted a record global trade surplus in 2025, the lawmakers noted, while estimates show U.S. manufacturing employment has lost tens of thousands of jobs since the tariffs took effect.

The senators rejected the State Department’s assertion that U.S. policy had unified allies against China, arguing instead that tariffs and recent military escalations involving Greenland, Iran and Venezuela have strained relations with key partners. They cited Canada as an example, noting that Ottawa recently struck a trade deal with China amid concerns about the U.S.’s reliability as a partner.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a Republican dissident on Venezuela, rejected the Trump administration’s portrayal of Maduro’s capture as a law enforcement operation rather than an act of war.

He pressed Rubio for congressional authorization.

“If we said a foreign country invaded our capital, bombed our entire air defense – which would be a massive bombing campaign, and it did – removed our president, and then blockaded the country, we would think that was an act of war,” Paul said.

Congressional Republicans voted earlier this month to reject a war powers resolution that would have limited Trump’s ability to carry out further attacks on Venezuela after two Republican senators reversed course in favor of the legislation.

They did so based on informal assurances from the administration that it would consult members of Congress before taking military action.

“I was a big fan of [congressional] consultation when I was sitting there,” Rubio said, joking about his tenure as a senator on the committee. “Now, you know, it’s a different job, a different time.”

The War Powers Act dictates how the executive branch must handle military operations, including that the administration must notify Congress within 48 hours of a military operation.

“And if this is going to last longer than 60 days, we need to bring it to Congress. We don’t anticipate any of these things happening,” Rubio said.

He added that the administration’s end goal is “a friendly, stable and prosperous Venezuela,” and warned that free and fair elections would take time as the administration works with Rodríguez to stabilize the country.

“You can have an all-day election, but if the opposition doesn’t have access to the media… it’s not a free and fair election,” Rubio said. “There is a percentage of the Venezuelan population… who may not like Maduro, but who remain attached to the Chavista ideology. They will also be represented in this platform.”

Rubio did not provide concrete timelines, sparking skepticism from lawmakers who cited ongoing reports that political prisoners are still imprisoned and opposition figures such as Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado are still blocked from running for office. He will meet with Machado this week to discuss his role in the ongoing regime change.

“I’ve known Maria Corina for probably 12 or 13 years,” Rubio said. “I probably dealt with her more than anyone.”

But the reality on the ground remains difficult, he said, adding that the administration has bet on the current Venezuelan government to comply with U.S. efforts to stabilize the economy and eliminate political violence before fair elections are held.

“The people who control guns and government institutions are in the hands of this regime,” Rubio said.