Rubio set to warn of future military action if Venezuela's new leaders stray from U.S. goals

Marco Rubio warns of potential military action against Venezuela if its leaders fail to align with U.S. objectives.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) to warn that the Trump administration is ready to take new military action against Venezuela if the country's interim leadership strays from U.S. expectations.

In prepared testimony for a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Rubio says the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela and that its interim leaders are cooperating, but he notes that the Trump administration would not rule out using additional force if needed following a raid to capture former President Nicolas Maduro early this month.

“We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail," Mr. Rubio will say, according to his prepared opening statement released Tuesday (January 27, 2026) 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.” As he often is called to do, Mr. Rubio, a former Florida senator, will aim to sell one of President Donald Trump's more contentious priorities to former colleagues in Congress. With the administration's foreign policy gyrating between the Western Hemisphere, Europe and the West Asia, Mr. Rubio also may be called to smooth alarm that has emerged in his own party lately about efforts like Mr. Trump's demand to annex Greenland.

In the hearing focused on Venezuela, Mr. Rubio will defend Mr. Trump's decisions to remove Mr. Maduro to face drug trafficking charges in the U.S., continue deadly military strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs and seize sanctioned tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, according to the prepared remarks. He will again reject allegations that Mr. Trump is violating the Constitution by taking such actions.

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“There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” he will say, according to the prepared remarks. “There are no U.S. troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement.” Congress has not curtailed Mr. Trump on Venezuela.