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The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, denied this Sunday that his country is "at war with Venezuela" following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, and stated that the operation ordered by President Donald Trump was a "legal and limited" action within the framework of the fight against drug trafficking.
In an interview with the program 'Meet the Press' from the network NBC, Rubio stated that Washington has not initiated a military intervention, but rather a “law enforcement” action to carry out a court order related to the drug trafficking and organized crime charges against the Chavista leader.
This was neither an invasion nor an attack on Venezuela. It was a law enforcement operation, he said.
The head of U.S. diplomacy explained that the capture of Maduro was part of a joint operation involving the Department of Justice, the Pentagon, and the Coast Guard.
"It was about enforcing the oil sanctions and stopping vessels associated with drug trafficking organizations. Our goal is not war; it is to uphold U.S. law," he insisted.
Rubio also emphasized that the operation lasted only two hours and that there were no American casualties, noting that Trump "fulfilled a judicial order that had already been in place since the previous administration."
"The difference," he added, "is that this president did something about it."
When asked whether there will be more military actions, the Secretary of State responded that Trump "keeps all options on the table," although he ruled out any plans for occupation.
“It’s not about war; it’s about justice,” Rubio emphasized, defending the intervention as a “necessary” measure to combat drug trafficking and restore order in the Western Hemisphere.
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