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Marco Rubio: “We don't have US Forces on the ground in Venezuela.”

Featuring: Marco Rubio, Republican | Secretary of State, United States | National

Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview

Published January 4, 2026 | Video Starts at 07:55

The president was asked about the possibility of US Boots on the ground. He said, quote, we're not afraid of it. How many US Forces are on the ground right now in Venezuela? Are there any? We don't have US Forces on the ground in Venezuela. No, we don't have US Forces on the ground. Everyone knows they were on the ground for about two hours when they went to capture Maduro. (07:55–07:59)

CLAIM

Asserts that there are no U.S. forces currently on the ground in Venezuela.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Marco Rubio

“The leader of that cartel is now in US Custody and facing US justice in the Southern district of New York, and that's Nicolas Maduro.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 00:51-01:00
“The Department of Justice, dating back in the Biden administration that had a $25 million reward for his capture.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 08:24-08:30
“You cannot continue to have the largest oil reserves in the world under the control of adversaries of the United States.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 09:58-10:07
“8 million people left Venezuela in 2014 because all the wealth of that country was stolen to the benefit of Maduro and his cronies.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 11:30-11:43
“We are enforcing American laws with regards to oil sanctions.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 00:26-00:32
“We continue to reserve the right to take strikes against drug boats that are bringing drugs towards the United States.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 00:38-00:45
“We can't have a country where the people in charge of its military and in charge of its police department are openly cooperating with drug…”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 01:40-01:49
“Our military is helping the Coast Guard conduct a law enforcement function which is not just the capture of Maduro, but the enforcement of…”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 01:59-02:07
“The Department of War plays a very important role here along with the Department of Justice, for example, because they've got, they're the…”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 03:09-03:17
“The vast majority of the opposition is no longer present inside of Venezuela.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 04:22-04:27
“With Nicolas Maduro, you could not make a deal or an arrangement, although he, by the way, was given very generous offers.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 04:57-05:03
“No more drug trafficking, no more Iran, Hezbollah presence there, and no more using the oil industry to enrich all our adversaries around…”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 05:53-06:03
“This is a country that's been governed by this regime now for 14 or 15 years.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 06:25-06:29
“We will continue to target drug boats if they try to run towards the United States, we will continue to seize the boats that are sanctioned…”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 07:01-07:10
“Everyone knows they were on the ground for about two hours when they went to capture Maduro.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 07:59-08:04
“You can't flood this country with drugs that are coming out of Colombia through Venezuela with the cooperation of elements of your security…”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 09:39-09:47
“We don't need Venezuela's oil. We have plenty of oil in the United States.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 10:54-10:58
“The alternative would have been to leave Maduro there as an indicted drug trafficker, illegitimate president running the country.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 13:19-13:27
“This was not an action that required congressional approval.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 15:30-15:33
“This was a law enforcement function to capture an indicted drug trafficker.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 16:22-16:27
“We had to take down radars, we had to take down those anti air elements on the way in and on the way out.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 16:33-16:38
“This is an operation akin to what virtually every single president for the last 40 years has conducted.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 16:59-17:06
“His entire like internal security force, his internal security apparatus is entirely controlled by Cubans.”
Marco Rubio says Maduro's capture 'not a war against Venezuela': Full interview | Uploaded January 4, 2026 | 17:37-17:45