Jeanette Rubio did not know that the United States was about to launch the operation that would result in the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. However, there were enough signs at home to understand that something unusual was happening.
The wife of Secretary of State Marco Rubio recalled how she experienced the days leading up to the U.S. operation on January 3 during an interview given alongside her husband to Katie Miller at the Department of State.
"I knew that something was happening," Jeanette admitted when Miller asked how those days had been in the family’s privacy.
The reason lay in Rubio's behavior.
“He was constantly coming and going. We didn’t do anything during the holidays,” she said. “I knew something was happening, but I didn’t know exactly what it was.”
While Jeanette watched those signals without knowing what was happening, the United States was finalizing an operation that had been in preparation for months.
The so-called "Operation Absolute Resolution" was the result of months of planning, rehearsals, and intelligence work to track Maduro's movements. The final order arrived on the night of January 2, when Donald Trump authorized the mission from Mar-a-Lago.
The Secretary of State accompanied Trump and other high-ranking officials, including Pete Hegseth and the CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, as they monitored the operation's progress in real-time from an improvised situation room in the president's residence in Florida.
Hours later, the U.S. operation in Venezuela concluded with the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were removed from the country and subsequently taken to New York to face charges in U.S. federal court.
The new interview now reveals how those days were experienced from a very different perspective: that of the family of one of the officials directly involved in the operation.
Jeanette explained that when significant events occur, she can realize that something is happening due to her husband's work rhythm.
"I just see him more occupied. I see him on the phone. He's thinking," he explained.
Despite this, he assured that Rubio tends to remain calm even in moments of high tension. "I would say he is calm and composed," he noted.
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