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Rubio Defends U.S. Venezuela Operations as Senate Probes Airstrikes and Maduro Capture

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Senate Hearing Highlights First Public Scrutiny Since January Airstrikes On 28 January 2026 the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee held its first public hearing since the 3 January airstrikes on Caracas, questioning Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the removal of Nicolás Maduro and the legality of the strikes [1]. Lawmakers demanded transparency after earlier closed‑door legal debates, with Democrat Tim Kaine recalling the 2 September 2025 strike on alleged drug boats [1]. The hearing marked a rare congressional review of the covert operation’s objectives and outcomes [1].

Delta Force Operation Removed Maduro in Nighttime Arrest Special‑operations troops from Delta Force entered Caracas in the early hours and seized former President Maduro while he was in his pajamas, then air‑lifted him to the United States to face drug‑trafficking indictments [1]. The capture was presented as a law‑enforcement action rather than a conventional military raid [1]. U.S. officials framed the extradition as part of a broader effort to dismantle transnational narcotics networks linked to the Venezuelan regime [1].

Rubio Emphasizes Law‑Enforcement Frame and Rejects War Narrative In his opening statement Rubio asserted that the United States “did not occupy a country” and that no U.S. troops remain on Venezuelan soil, positioning the operation as a targeted police mission [1]. He repeatedly stressed that the action was not a war but a precise response to criminal activity [1]. This narrative aimed to counter criticism that the strike represented an undeclared military intervention [1].

New Oil‑Revenue Control Plan Routes Funds Through Qatar Account Rubio outlined a scheme to hold Venezuelan crude proceeds in an offshore account in Qatar before transferring them to a U.S. Treasury‑blocked account [1]. The plan restricts fund releases to narrowly defined humanitarian and reconstruction needs and mandates that oil sales finance U.S.–made goods, preventing revenue from benefiting Russia or China [1]. This financial architecture seeks to leverage Venezuela’s oil wealth while limiting foreign influence [1].

Future Military Options Not Excluded, Democratic Oil Control Goal Stated While rejecting immediate further combat, Rubio said the United States has not ruled out deploying additional forces if necessary [1]. He emphasized the ultimate aim of restoring oil‑industry authority to a stable, democratic Venezuelan government [1]. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s pledge to cut the oil lifeline to Cuba was highlighted as a step toward regional stability [1].

Sources

Timeline

2020 – The United States indicts Nicolás Maduro in the Southern District of New York on narco‑terrorism and related drug‑trafficking charges, establishing a legal foothold that later underpins his capture and prosecution [14][25].

Sept 2, 2025 – U.S. forces strike alleged drug‑smuggling boats off Venezuela, marking the first overt use of kinetic force against Maduro’s purported narcotics network and sparking debate over the operation’s legality [1].

2025 – The U.S. raises the bounty on Maduro to $50 million and conducts 35 strikes on vessels, killing more than 115 people, intensifying pressure on the Venezuelan regime and setting the stage for a larger intervention [23][24][25].

Jan 3, 2026 – President Trump announces a large‑scale nighttime strike on Caracas, declares that the United States will “run” Venezuela during a transition, and frames the action as a law‑enforcement effort against a narco‑terrorist regime [29][30][26][21][18][22][23][24][25].

Jan 3, 2026 – U.S. Delta Force and over 150 aircraft execute Operation Absolute Resolve, seize Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores from their Ft. Tiuna residence, transport them to the USS Iwo Jima and then to Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, with no U.S. fatalities reported [15][16][20][21][22][26][27][28][29][30].

Jan 3, 2026 – Attorney General Pam Bondi unseals a superseding 25‑page indictment in the Southern District of New York charging Maduro and Flores with narco‑terrorism, cocaine importation, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, alleging ties to cartels such as Sinaloa, Zetas, FARC and the Tren de Aragua [13][14][15][16][17][18][20][21][22][23][24][25].

Jan 3, 2026 – Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in by the Supreme Court as interim president, asserts constitutional succession while claiming Maduro remains the legitimate president, and pledges to defend the nation against U.S. aggression [11][13][16][21][24].

Jan 4, 2026 – Trump reiterates that the United States will govern Venezuela’s oil sector and run the country until a “safe, proper and judicious” transition, outlining a plan to channel oil revenues through an offshore Qatar account before moving them to a U.S. Treasury‑blocked account for narrowly defined needs [11][13][26][1].

Jan 4, 2026 – The Federal Aviation Administration lifts Caribbean airspace restrictions imposed during the Caracas raid, allowing commercial flights to resume across the region [12].

Jan 4, 2026 – Protesters gather outside Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as Maduro and Flores are transferred to federal custody, while anti‑war demonstrations erupt in more than 100 U.S. cities, reflecting domestic backlash to the intervention [10][18].

Jan 5, 2026 – Maduro and Flores appear in Manhattan federal court, plead not guilty, and Maduro declares himself the “kidnapped president” while asserting his constitutional authority; the court schedules the next hearing for March 17 2026 [2][6][7][8][13].

Jan 5, 2026 – The United Nations Security Council convenes an emergency meeting to address the U.S. raid, with Russia, China and Iran condemning the action as a violation of sovereignty and urging respect for international law [13][22][24][25].

Jan 5, 2026 – Thirty‑eight civic groups rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, demanding Maduro’s release and denouncing the operation as imperialist aggression, while South Korean officials call for regional de‑escalation [9].

Jan 28, 2026 – The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee holds its first public hearing since the Jan 3 airstrikes; Secretary of State Marco Rubio stresses that the U.S. is not at war, outlines a new oil‑revenue control mechanism, and says a future force is not ruled out but the ultimate goal is a democratic Venezuelan government [1].

Mar 17, 2026 (planned) – A further federal hearing in Manhattan is set to consider pre‑trial challenges, including Maduro’s claim of head‑of‑state immunity and the legality of his abduction [2][6][7][8].

Future (unspecified) – The U.S. Treasury prepares to release Venezuelan oil proceeds only for narrowly defined needs and to ensure sales finance U.S.‑made goods, aiming to prevent Russia or China from benefiting from the revenue [1].

Future (unspecified) – Trump’s administration signals readiness for a second, larger strike and does not rule out deploying boots on the ground to secure the transition, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty over Venezuela’s political future [1][26].

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