At a Glance
- US captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and shifts from claiming to run the country to enforcing an oil quarantine.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio counters President Donald Trump’s earlier vow to “run” Venezuela.
- Maduro and wife Cilia Flores are now in U.S. custody and face narco-terrorism charges.
- Why it matters: The change signals a new U.S. strategy toward Venezuela and raises questions about foreign intervention.
In a dramatic turn of events that followed the overnight U.S. raid that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas, the United States has pivoted its approach to the country. While President Donald Trump earlier promised to run Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington will instead enforce an existing oil quarantine and use that leverage to press for policy changes.
Policy Shift: From Running to Oil Quarantine
Marco Rubio said the U.S. would not take a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela.
- The oil quarantine remains in place and is a lever to influence policy.
- The U.S. expects changes that benefit Venezuelan people and curb drug trafficking.
Marco Rubio stated:
> “We continue with that quarantine, and we expect to see that there will be changes, not just in the way the oil industry is run for the benefit of the people, but also so that they stop the drug trafficking.”
Marco Rubio added:
> “The blockade on sanctioned oil tankers – some of which have been seized by the U.S. – remains in place, and that’s a tremendous amount of leverage that will continue to be in place until we see changes that not just further the national interest of the United States, which is number one, but also that lead to a better future for the people of Venezuela.”
Marco Rubio further emphasized the distinction from past conflicts:
> “The whole foreign policy apparatus thinks everything is Libya, everything is Iraq, everything is Afghanistan… This is not the Middle East. And our mission here is very different. This is the Western Hemisphere.”
He also said:
> “We’re going to judge everything by what they do, and we’re going to see what they do.”
President Donald Trump had earlier declared:
> “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
and later:
> “We’re gonna be running it we’re gonna be bringing it back.”
Operation and Aftermath
Maduro landed late Saturday afternoon at a small airport in New York’s northern suburbs after a midnight operation that removed him and his wife Cilia Flores from a Caracas military base. They were flown by helicopter to Manhattan, where a convoy of law-enforcement vehicles, including an armored car, escorted them to a DEA office. A video posted by a White House account showed Maduro smiling as two DEA agents grasped his arms.
- Maduro and Flores face U.S. charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
- The Justice Department released a new indictment Saturday labeling their government corrupt and linked to drug trafficking.
- The U.S. does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s leader.
- The CIA conducted a drone strike last week on a docking area believed to be used by Venezuelan drug cartels.
- Caracas remained unusually quiet Sunday, with closed stores and guarded presidential palace.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Maduro captured and flown to New York |
| Sunday | Rubio announces oil quarantine policy |
| Sunday | Trump repeats plan to run Venezuela |
The quiet in Caracas, with few vehicles and closed businesses, reflects the shock of Maduro’s removal. A resident noted that people are still shaken.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. has shifted from a plan to run Venezuela to enforcing an oil quarantine.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio is steering the new strategy.
- Maduro and his wife are now in U.S. custody and face serious charges.
The operation marks the most assertive U.S. action to change Venezuela’s leadership since 2003, but the new policy signals a more restrained approach to governance.
