By Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt warning to Cuba’s leadership on Saturday, signaling that Havana should take note of the dramatic U.S. operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his removal from power.
Speaking to reporters during a press briefing at Mar-a-Lago, Rubio pointed directly to Cuba’s deep involvement in Venezuela’s security and intelligence apparatus. He described Maduro’s government as heavily penetrated by Cuban personnel, including in presidential protection and internal intelligence, arguing that Caracas had effectively surrendered its sovereignty to Havana.
“If I were in the Cuban government right now, I would certainly have some worries,” Rubio said, underscoring what he portrayed as a fundamental shift in the regional balance of power.
President Donald Trump, appearing alongside Rubio, struck a dual note of warning and outreach. While describing Cuba as a nation in severe decline, Trump said the United States remains interested in helping the Cuban people, including those who have fled the island for the U.S., and drew parallels between Cuba’s trajectory and Venezuela’s collapse under Maduro.
On Sunday, Rubio explained that Cuba had, in effect, been colonizing Venezuela, noting that Maduro was not guarded by people from his own country, but by Cuban bodyguards.
WELKER: Is the Cuban government the Trump administration's next target?
MARCO RUBIO: Well, the Cuban government is a huge problem. Yeah.
WELKER: Is that a yes?
RUBIO: I think they're in a lot of trouble, yes pic.twitter.com/UHbmshmu0z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 4, 2026
The remarks followed a sweeping U.S. military operation overnight that included strikes across Venezuela, with confirmed activity in Caracas and several other regions. According to administration officials, elite American units, including Delta Force operators, entered Maduro’s residence, detained him and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferred them to a U.S. naval vessel. From there, the couple was flown to New York.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple federal charges, including conspiracies involving narco-terrorism, cocaine importation, and illegal weapons possession.
Trump confirmed that the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuela’s affairs to ensure an orderly transition of power and to safeguard the interests of Venezuelan citizens both inside the country and abroad.
Havana reacted swiftly and angrily. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla denounced the operation on social media, calling it an act of military aggression and the kidnapping of Venezuela’s elected leader. I
En Tribuna Antimperialista, condenamos la agresión militar de #EEUU contra #Venezuela y el secuestro de su legítimo Presidente Nicolás Maduro Moros y su esposa.
Reafirmamos nuestro pleno apoyo y solidaridad con el pueblo venezolano, la Revolución Bolivariana y Chavista, su Unión… pic.twitter.com/hXMiwttMau
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) January 3, 2026
In Washington, Democratic leaders condemned the operation as unlawful without explicit congressional authorization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged Maduro’s authoritarian rule but criticized the intervention as impulsive and lacking a clear post-operation strategy. He also argued that the capture was “without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.”
For some reason, in all of their statements, Democrats missed the fact that one of Joe Biden’s final acts as president was to place a reward on the capture of Maduro. On January 10 of last year, The New York Times reported at the time, “The Biden administration said on Friday that it was offering $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, after he assumed a third term in office despite evidence suggesting that he lost Venezuela’s recent election.
The announcement was a retaliatory measure by Washington, which does not recognize Mr. Maduro as the rightful president of Venezuela. Mr. Maduro has presented no evidence that he won a July election, while his opponent Edmundo González has presented thousands of publicly available vote tallies that he says indicate he easily won the most votes.”
Trump’s move marks one of the most dramatic escalations in U.S. policy toward Latin America in decades, signaling that the president is prepared to take direct action against governments it deems hostile in our own hemisphere.
[Read More: Dems Confused About What To Do When Trump Does Something Good]
