US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday strongly defended the Trump administration’s intensified pressure on Venezuela, framing the policy as a campaign against “narco-terrorists” and an illegitimate regime aligned with America’s enemies.
Speaking at a rare, more than two-hour end-of-year press conference at the State Department, Rubio addressed multiple global flashpoints, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and ceasefire efforts in the Middle East and Africa. His sharpest criticism, however, was directed at Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro, who faces US charges related to narco-terrorism.
Rubio has emerged as a key advocate of expanded US military operations targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. Those operations have intensified since early September as the administration ramps up pressure on Caracas.
When asked whether Washington is pursuing regime change in Venezuela in 2026, Rubio avoided a direct answer. Still, he described Maduro’s government as “illegitimate” and accused it of cooperating with Iran and Hezbollah while enabling large-scale narcotics trafficking.