Rubio Says Plans To ‘Run’ Venezuela Don’t Include U.S. Government Control
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear on Sunday that President Donald Trump’s strategy in Venezuela is about leverage and national interest, not occupation or regime control.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Rubio addressed President Trump’s powerful statement following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro. When the President declared that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela, many in the media pounced, claiming this meant an invasion or colonial-style control. Rubio set the record straight.
“What we are running is the direction that this is going to move moving forward,” Rubio told George Stephanopoulos. “We have leverage. This leverage we are using — and we intend to use, and we have started using already.”
Sec. Rubio on how the U.S. is currently operating in Venezuela: “The armada of boats that are currently positioned allow us to seize any sanctioned boats coming into or out of Venezuela, loaded with oil or on its way in to pick up oil, and we can pick and choose which ones we go… pic.twitter.com/TSAhCujoi6
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 4, 2026
That leverage includes an American naval presence now stationed to monitor and enforce a full oil quarantine. Rubio said the U.S. has legal authority to seize any sanctioned vessels attempting to enter or leave Venezuelan waters. “We can pick and choose which ones we go after,” he said. “We have court orders for each one.”
He made it crystal clear that America’s mission is to guide Venezuela toward a free and stable future — not to play puppet master over another country’s government. Rubio emphasized that military options remain on the table, but only if Venezuela’s situation demands it.
“What’s going to happen here is we have a quarantine on their oil. That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met,” Rubio said. “That leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing and we expect that it’s going to lead to results here.”
Rubio reinforced that message on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he reminded Kristen Welker that the administration’s actions are about influencing policy — not seizing power.
“It’s running POLICY,” Rubio stressed. “We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it’s good for the people of Venezuela, it’s in our national interest.”
The message from Rubio was clear: under President Trump, America doesn’t bluff. When he says we’re going to help rebuild a broken country, it doesn’t mean boots on the ground. It means strategic pressure, leverage, and leadership that puts American interests and freedom-loving people first.