Washington has sought to redraw the contours of its dramatic intervention in Venezuela, insisting that the seizure of President Nicolas Maduro does not amount to a war against the country but rather a targeted campaign against transnational drug trafficking networks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the operation that led to Maduro’s capture was narrowly focused and strategic, stressing that Washington’s confrontation is with criminal organizations — not the Venezuelan state.
Speaking to NBC News, Rubio said the United States is “at war against drug trafficking organizations,” rejecting assertions that the actions amounted to a military conflict with Venezuela itself, reports DW.COM
Rubio confirmed that US forces were briefly deployed inside Venezuela solely to apprehend Maduro, adding that American troops were on the ground for approximately two hours before withdrawing.
He dismissed claims of a prolonged occupation, stating unequivocally that there are no US forces currently stationed in the country.
The comments came as Caracas remained under tight security, with large sections of the capital eerily quiet following US airstrikes that targeted radar installations and air-defense systems.
Several neighborhoods were left without electricity as police cordoned off routes leading to the presidential palace, Miraflores.
In the political vacuum left by Maduro’s arrest, Venezuela’s military has thrown its weight behind Delcy Rodríguez, who has been sworn in as interim president.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino publicly endorsed a Supreme Court ruling appointing Rodríguez to lead the country for a 90-day transitional period.
Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president, has demanded Maduro’s release and continues to describe him as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
US officials confirmed that Maduro is being held in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn and is expected to appear before a US court as early as Monday, marking a historic moment in Washington’s long-running confrontation with the Venezuelan leadership.
President Donald Trump has meanwhile declared that the United States will temporarily “run the country” until what he described as a safe and orderly political transition can be arranged.
However, the administration has yet to clarify how governance would function during this interim period or what role Venezuelan political actors would play.
Trump indicated that a small leadership group — likely including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth –would oversee the transition. He also ruled out cooperation with opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, despite international observers asserting that her proxy candidate overwhelmingly won Venezuela’s disputed 2024 election.
On the streets of Caracas, the mood has been one of tense uncertainty rather than celebration. Local journalists described an uneasy calm, with shops shuttered, roads nearly empty, and citizens waiting for clarity on what comes next.
While Venezuelans abroad have reacted with jubilation, residents at home appear cautious, neither resisting the unfolding changes nor openly embracing them.
US defense officials said the operation to capture Maduro was executed in under three hours and involved more than 150 aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, underscoring the scale and precision of the intervention –even as Washington insists it does not constitute a war.
