Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify when Rubio made his statement.
(NewsNation) — Before the U.S. captured and indicted Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was “NOT the president of Venezuela.”
In a post on X from July 2025, Rubio made clear the Trump administration’s stance on Maduro’s authority in the country, adding that “his regime is NOT the legitimate government.”
“Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States,” Rubio wrote.
President Trump confirmed the strike on his social platform, Truth Social, a couple of hours after several explosions erupted in the capital city of Caracas. The Venezuelan government has since issued a statement, denouncing the “extremely serious military aggression.”
Rubio recently praised the Trump administration’s “Operation Southern Spear” campaign as part of ongoing efforts to remove what the Department of Defense calls “narco-terrorists” in the southern hemisphere. Since September, the U.S. has carried out a series of boat strikes in the Caribbean and off the coast of Venezuela, in some cases deadly, targeting vessels allegedly carrying drugs to the U.S.
On Dec. 16, Rubio told the press in a statement, “We’re pleased to be here today to update Congress on how that’s developing and how that’s moving forward.”
Trump is scheduled to hold a press briefing at Mar-a-Lago at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday.