Updated January 28, 2026 at 5:56 PM EST
Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced intense scrutiny in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday over the Trump administration's military operation that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as lawmakers pressed for clarity on what comes next for the South American country and for U.S. involvement in the region.
In his opening remarks, Rubio rejected claims that the United States is at war with Venezuela, insisting the operation was a limited law-enforcement mission rather than a military occupation.
"There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country. There are no U.S. troops on the ground," Rubio said, framing the mission as a targeted law enforcement action rather than a military occupation.
Republicans on the committee largely praised the administration's actions. Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, called the mission an "incredibly brief, targeted and successful raid," noting it resulted in no American casualties.
But Democrats sharply criticized the cost and consequences of the operation. Ranking committee member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., questioned whether removing Maduro was worth the financial and political fallout, citing estimates that the raid and U.S. naval blockade could cost taxpayers up to $1 billion.
"The U.S. naval blockade around Venezuela and the raid have already cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars," Shaheen said. "And yet the Maduro regime is essentially still in power — all the same people are running the country."
Shaheen and other Democrats also raised concerns about Venezuela's interim leader, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, arguing she has taken no meaningful steps to reduce Iranian, Chinese or Russian influence in the country. Some senators accused the administration of replacing one authoritarian figure with another.
"The [Drug Enforcement Administration] has reportedly identified Delcy Rodríguez as a significant actor in the drug trade," Shaheen pressed.
Rubio responded that Rodríguez has not been indicted like Maduro and said Washington's immediate priority is stability — even if it requires working with leaders the U.S. does not fully trust.
"We are dealing with individuals that in our system would not be acceptable in the long term," Rubio acknowledged. "But we are in a transition to stabilization phase. You have to work with the people currently in charge of the elements of government."
Lawmakers also questioned financial arrangements tied to Venezuela's oil sector, including reports that the U.S. granted no-bid licenses to two companies — one reportedly tied to a major Trump donor — to sell Venezuelan oil. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the optics "reek" to many Americans.
Rubio defended the move as a temporary measure, arguing Venezuela was running out of oil storage capacity.
"We had to move that oil very quickly," he said. "The long-term plan is not those two trading companies. The long-term plan is for Venezuela to have a normal energy program that sells directly into the market."
The secretary of state also defended the ongoing U.S. naval blockade, describing it as a "quarantine" rather than a military escalation. He said Venezuela's current leaders are cooperating with U.S. authorities by helping identify ships suspected of sanctions violations.
While most Republicans backed the administration's strategy, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., raised concerns about the legality of the operation and the precedent it sets. Rubio maintained the raid was lawful and necessary to disrupt what he called a "criminal state."
Rubio warned that U.S. patience is not unlimited, signaling a willingness to escalate if cooperation breaks down.
"Make no mistake," he said. "We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail."
Throughout the hearing, senators repeatedly pressed Rubio on how success would be measured and how — or when — Venezuela would transition to democracy.
"This is not a frozen dinner," Rubio told the committee. "You don't put it in a microwave and 2 1/2 minutes later it's ready. These are complex things."
The hearing marks Rubio's highest-profile test so far on Venezuela policy, as lawmakers from both parties demand clearer benchmarks, greater transparency, and a defined long-term strategy for U.S. involvement in the country.
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