By The United States has stated that it was not at war with Venezuela, insisting that it was only primarily implementing a comprehensive oil quarantine and conducting specific law enforcement measures to tackle drug trafficking, foreign influence, and what it considered threats to national security.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made the clarification in a series of interviews on Sunday, contained in a release made available to reporters. He said Washington was applying what he described as “crippling leverage” through sanctions and court-authorised seizures of Venezuelan oil shipments to pressure Caracas into change.
“We are not at war with Venezuela. We are at war with drug trafficking organisations,” Rubio said.
According to Rubio, the policy followed the recent arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken into US custody in what he described as a limited law enforcement operation, not a military invasion.
He explained that the United States was enforcing a quarantine on Venezuelan oil, allowing American authorities to seize sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuelan waters.
“What we are running is the direction this is going to move,” Rubio said, stressing that the United States is not occupying Venezuela but shaping outcomes through economic pressure.
He argued that Venezuela has become a hub for drug trafficking, armed gangs and foreign actors such as Iran and Hizbollah, which he said posed a direct threat to the United States and the wider hemisphere.
Responding to questions on the legal basis for the actions, Rubio said US courts authorised the seizures. “These are sanctioned boats. We go to court, we get orders, and we seize them,” he said, adding that the operation that led to Maduro’s arrest did not require congressional approval because it was a targeted law enforcement mission.
Rubio rejected claims that the United States was “running Venezuela,” insisting that Washington is implementing policies designed to protect US interests.
The Secretary of State confirmed that there wwre no US troops stationed in Venezuela, apart from a brief operation lasting a few hours during Maduro’s arrest. He added that President Donald Trump retains all military options but has not ordered an occupation or long-term deployment.
He outlined conditions for easing US pressure, including dismantling drug trafficking routes through Venezuela, removing Iranian and Hizbollah influence, and reforming the oil sector to ensure revenues benefit ordinary Venezuelans rather than what he described as corrupt elites.
According to Rubio, Washington would judge Venezuelan authorities by their actions, not public statements. “We are not reacting to press conferences. We are reacting to what happens,” he said.
While confirming that Chevron remains the only US oil company operating in Venezuela, Rubio said Western firms could show renewed interest if meaningful reforms were implemented. He noted that US Gulf Coast refineries were well-suited for Venezuelan heavy crude and that a restructured oil industry could generate revenue for citizens.
On calls for immediate elections, Rubio said such expectations were unrealistic given years of political crisis, reiterating US support for a democratic transition while stressing that security and national interest concerns remain the immediate priority.
“Our number one objective is America, but we want a better future for the people of Venezuela as well,” he stated.
