The United States has denied being at war with Venezuela, saying it is instead enforcing a sweeping oil quarantine and targeted law enforcement actions aimed at countering drug trafficking, foreign influence and what it describes as threats to U.S. national security.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made the clarification during a series of interviews on Sunday, according to an official statement. He said Washington is applying what he termed “crippling leverage” through sanctions and court-authorised seizures of Venezuelan oil shipments to pressure authorities in Caracas.
Rubio explained that the policy followed the recent arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken into U.S. custody in what he described as a limited law enforcement operation rather than a military invasion.
According to him, the United States is enforcing a quarantine on Venezuelan oil, granting American authorities the power to seize sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuelan waters.
“What we are running is the direction this is going to move,” Rubio said, stressing that the United States is not occupying Venezuela but influencing outcomes through economic pressure.
He accused Venezuela of becoming a hub for drug trafficking, armed gangs and foreign actors such as Iran and Hezbollah, which he said pose a direct threat to the United States and the wider hemisphere.
Addressing questions on the legal basis for the actions, Rubio said U.S. courts had approved the seizures.
“These are sanctioned boats. We go to court, we get orders, and we seize them,” he said, adding that the operation leading to Maduro’s arrest did not require congressional approval because it was a targeted law enforcement mission.
Rubio also dismissed claims that Washington is “running Venezuela,” insisting that the United States is simply implementing policies to protect its national interests. He confirmed that there are no U.S. troops stationed in Venezuela, apart from a brief operation lasting a few hours during Maduro’s arrest.
He added that President Donald Trump retains all military options but has not ordered an occupation or long-term deployment.
“We are not at war with Venezuela. We are at war with drug trafficking organisations,” Rubio said.
The Secretary of State outlined conditions under which U.S. pressure could be eased, including dismantling drug trafficking routes through Venezuela, removing Iranian and Hizballah influence, and reforming the oil sector to ensure revenues benefit ordinary Venezuelans rather than what he described as corrupt elites.
According to Rubio, Washington would assess Venezuelan authorities based on concrete actions rather than rhetoric.
“We are not reacting to press conferences. We are reacting to what happens,” he said.
While confirming that Chevron remains the only U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela, Rubio said Western firms could return if meaningful reforms are carried out. He noted that U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are well suited for Venezuelan heavy crude and that a restructured oil industry could generate revenue for the population.
On calls for immediate elections, Rubio said such expectations were unrealistic given years of political crisis, reiterating U.S. support for a democratic transition while stressing that security and national interest concerns remain the immediate priority.
“Our number one objective is America, but we want a better future for the people of Venezuela as well,” he said.
