The next is the transcript of the interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 4, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We start right this moment with Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who joins us this morning from Miami. Good morning to you, Mr. Secretary.
SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO: Good morning. Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump mentioned that america will run the nation and that Venezuela will probably be largely run by, he pointed to you and among the different cupboard members when he spoke to the general public yesterday. He mentioned, The U.S. retains all army choices, together with boots on the bottom till U.S. calls for have been absolutely met. How do you intend to run the nation?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Properly, to begin with, I feel the vital factor to level out is that the important thing to what that regime depends on and is the economic system fueled by oil. And proper now, it’s an oil business that’s backwards and actually wants a number of assist and work by way of, not solely that, nevertheless it would not assist the individuals. Not one of the cash from the oil will get to the individuals. It is all stolen by the individuals which might be on the highest there, and in order that’s why we have now a quarantine. There is a quarantine proper now wherein sanctioned oil shipments, there is a boat, and that boat is beneath US sanctions, we go get a courtroom order, we’ll seize it. That is still in place, and that is an amazing quantity of leverage that may proceed to be in place till we see modifications that not simply additional the nationwide curiosity of america, which is primary, but additionally that result in a greater future for the individuals of Venezuela. And so that is the type of management the President is pointing to when he says that. We proceed with that quarantine, and we count on to see that there will probably be modifications, not simply in the way in which the oil business is run for the advantage of the individuals, but additionally in order that they cease the drug trafficking, in order that we not have these gang issues, in order that they kick the FARC and the ELN out, and that they not cozy as much as Hezbollah and Iran in our personal hemisphere.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What you’re speaking about is extra of a sanctions stress, not boots on the bottom. So simply to be clear, there isn’t a plan for U.S. occupation of this nation of practically 30 million individuals?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Properly, I feel to begin with, the President all the time retains optionality on something and on all these issues. He definitely has the power and the proper beneath the Structure of america to behave towards imminent and pressing threats towards the nation. That mentioned, and all of that mentioned as proper now, I feel what you see as a pressure posture is likely one of the largest naval deployments in fashionable historical past, definitely within the Western Hemisphere, and it’s able to stopping not simply drug boats, however stopping any of those sanctioned boats that come out and in, and actually paralyzing that portion of how the regime, you recognize, generates income, so that may proceed to be in place. What the President has mentioned, clearly, is, you recognize, and I feel what he is pointing to is that this obsession individuals have about boots and this or that. He,he doesn’t really feel like he’s going to publicly, you recognize, rule out choices which might be accessible for america, though that is not what you are seeing proper now. What you are seeing proper now’s an oil quarantine that enables us to exert great leverage over what occurs subsequent.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, he additionally mentioned the U.S. is able to stage a second and far bigger assault, if we’d like to take action. However I am curious, since you simply described the regime as nonetheless in place, primarily. I imply, I am curious why the Trump administration determined to depart it intact and solely arrest Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, the one who controls the police, the chief thug, Diosdado Cabellos, he is the inside minister. He is been indicted by america. He was in that indictment the Administration launched. He is a narco-terrorist. There is a $25 million worth on his head. He is nonetheless in place. The protection minister, who has deep ties to Russia, $15 million worth on his head. He’s nonetheless in place. I am confused. Are they nonetheless needed by america? Why did not you arrest them if you’re taking out the narco terrorist regime?
SECRETARY RUBIO: You are confused? I do not know why that is complicated to you–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –they’re nonetheless in energy.
SECRETARY RUBIO: I imply it is quite simple. You are not going to go in and wrap up. You are going to go in after which seize up– however yeah, however cannot go in and suck up 5 individuals. They’re already complaining about this one operation. Think about the howls we might have from all people else if we truly needed to go and keep there 4 days to seize 4 different individuals. We obtained the highest precedence. The primary individual on the listing was the man who claimed to be the president of the nation that he was not, and he was arrested alongside along with his spouse, who was additionally indicted. And that was a reasonably subtle and admittedly, sophisticated operation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It was.
SECRETARY RUBIO: It’s not simple to land helicopters in the course of the most important army base within the nation, the man lived on a army base, land inside three minutes, kick down his door, seize him, put him in handcuffs, learn him his rights, put him in a helicopter and go away the nation with out dropping any American or any American belongings. That is not a simple mission. And also you’re asking me, why did not we do this in 5 different locations on the identical time? I imply, that is absurd. I- I do suppose this is likely one of the most, you recognize, daring, you recognize, sophisticated, subtle missions this nation has carried out in a really very long time. Super credit score to the U.S. army personnel who did it. It was unbelievable, and an amazing success. And right this moment, an indicted drug trafficker who was not the official president of Venezuela–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Who we do not acknowledge, the Biden administration did not acknowledge, 60-something international locations do not acknowledge, the European Union would not acknowledge, and lots of international locations in Latin America do not acknowledge. He was a convicted- he was a indicted drug trafficker. He was arrested. His spouse was arrested also–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper however the others–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –and they’re now dealing with justice within the American system of courts–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –The others who have been additionally indicted are nonetheless in place. In order that’s the purpose of my questioning there. However you talked about not being the official president–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –so you needed us to land in 5 different army bases?
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, I am asking why you selected that this was the restrict of the army operation. However to your level that you simply simply made that Maduro was not the official president–
SECRETARY RUBIO: He was- he was the man was claiming to be the president.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. Properly, the opposition–
SECRETARY RUBIO:–He was the highest goal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, the opposition chief María Corina Machado and Edmundo González received that 2024 election, by your personal account. They have been among the first individuals you known as whenever you have been Secretary of State, you mentioned, Edmundo González is the rightful president of Venezuela. Is that also the U.S. coverage? And if that’s the case, are you engaged on a transition to have these elected leaders run the nation?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Properly, I feel a pair issues I’ve great admiration for María Corina Machado. I’ve admiration for Edmundo. We’ve all these views about what the election that occurred the final time, and never solely us, however many different international locations all over the world, there’s that. And there is and then- however there’s the mission we’re on proper now. We’ve been very clear from the start, as a result of I nonetheless suppose that lots of people analyze every thing that occurs in international coverage by the lens of what occurred from 2001 by you recognize 2015 or 16. The entire, you recognize, international coverage equipment thinks every thing is Libya, every thing is Iraq, every thing is Afghanistan. This isn’t the Center East. And our mission right here could be very totally different. That is the Western Hemisphere. Throughout the Western Hemisphere, we have now a rustic, doubtlessly a really wealthy nation, that has cozied itself up beneath the management of this regime. Has cozied as much as Iran. Has cozied as much as Hezbollah. Has cozied- has allowed narco-trafficking gangs to function with impunity from their very own territory, permits boats with medicine to site visitors from their territory. And we’re addressing that. And by the way in which, for eight, 9 million individuals and the most important mass migration occasion in fashionable historical past have left that nation since 2014–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, however that regime continues to be in place–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –also having an affect on us, that’s what we’re addressing now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Whenever you spoke yesterday–
SECRETARY RUBIO: Properly, once more that- however we’re not simply addressing the regime. We’re addressing the components which might be a risk to the nationwide curiosity of america.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood you spoke with Delcy Rodríguez, who’s now, based on President Trump, sworn in because the President, because the chief of Venezuela. Did she promise you that she is expelling all these American adversaries from Venezuelan territory? What precisely did she conform to do when she spoke to you?
SECRETARY RUBIO: We we’re going to- our goals in terms of how Venezuela impacts the nationwide curiosity of america haven’t modified, and we would like these addressed. We would like drug trafficking to cease. We would like no extra gang members to return our approach. We do not need to see the Iranian and, by the way in which, Cuban presence prior to now. We would like the oil business in that nation to not go to the advantage of pirates and adversaries of america, however for the advantage of the individuals. We need to see all of that occur. We insist on seeing that happen–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Did you she promise that?
SECRETARY RUBIO: –and we’re going to work to proceed to see that happen- effectively, proper now, the United- we’re going to see what occurs transferring ahead, let me simply say that. I am not clearly going to have these conversations within the media. These are delicate and complex issues that require mature statesmanship, and that is what we intend to do. However our targets stay the identical. The distinction is that the one who was in cost, though not legitimately prior to now was somebody you could possibly not work with. We simply couldn’t work with him. He’s not an individual that had ever stored any of the offers he made, broke each deal he ever made, made a idiot out of the Biden administration on the deal they made with him, and we supplied him, on a number of events, a possibility to take away himself from the scene in a optimistic approach. He selected to not do so- and now he is in New York–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: However, his quantity two is now operating the country- his quantity two is somebody you possibly can work with? And is that what you are implying right here? And did she let you know that she is going to transition to democracy and the girl who received the election alongside along with her companion there, María Corina Machado.
SECRETARY RUBIO: We’re going to make- we’re going to make our assessments of individuals. You are asking me to make an evaluation. We will make assessment- we’ll make an evaluation on the premise of what they do, not what they are saying publicly within the interim, not what you recognize some what they’ve executed prior to now in lots of instances, however what they do transferring ahead. So we’ll discover out. You are asking me, why- do I do know what selections individuals are going to make? I do not. I do know this, that if they do not make the proper selections, america will retain a number of levers of leverage to make sure that our pursuits are protected, and that features the oil quarantine that is in place, amongst different issues. Properly, so we however we’re going to choose transferring ahead. We will choose every thing by what they do, and we’ll see what they do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, as a result of yesterday, President Trump mentioned María Corina Machado would not have the assist or respect throughout the nation, and by your personal admission, she walloped Nicolas Maduro within the final election. So it does sound like a choice was made, but–
SECRETARY RUBIO: She wasn’t on the poll within the final election.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, however her, her celebration was.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Edmundo was.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Appropriate. So it was an illegitimate election, and that is why he isn’t a official president.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, however is there an settlement to transition to democracy? It feels like there’s not.
SECRETARY RUBIO: I feel what the president identified is the plain. Properly, I feel what the purpose, however there needs to be a bit realism right here. Okay, a transition to the market — They’ve had this regime. They’ve had this method of Chavismo in place for 15 or 16 years, and everybody’s asking, why 24 hours after Nicolas Maduro was arrested, there is not an election scheduled for tomorrow? That is absurd.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, no, I am asking what you talked about.
SECRETARY RUBIO: These items take time. There is a course of.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper. And you’re —
SECRETARY RUBIO: I am not going to have, I am not going to publicly get into particulars about any of these issues, apart from to let you know that our expectations stay the identical, and we’re going to choose whoever we’re interacting with transferring ahead by whether or not or not these situations are met. We would like, in fact, we need to see Venezuela transition to be a spot utterly totally different than what it seems like right this moment. However, clearly, we do not have the expectation that is going to occur within the subsequent 15 hours. What we do have an expectation is that, that it transfer in that route. We expect it is in our nationwide curiosity, and admittedly, within the curiosity of individuals of Venezuela.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The president used the phrase oil 20 occasions this press convention. You talked about these great oil belongings that Venezuela have, has. However the president’s final envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, is publicly arguing that you recognize higher than the coverage you are backing. He mentioned, quote, “Venezuelan plutocrats, or US oil executives appear to be coming to Mar-a-Lago and whispering about how simple life can be if we simply made a take care of the regime as soon as Maduro was gone.” Is that what occurred right here?
SECRETARY RUBIO: No, that is not what occurred right here. What occurred right here is that we arrested a narco trafficker who’s now going to face trial in america for the crimes he is dedicated towards our individuals for 15 years, and the one who helped him, in fact, his spouse, who was co-located with him, so she was arrested as effectively. That is what occurred right here. So far as oil, look, oil is vital, not simply to fueling economies all around the world. It is important to Venezuela’s future. Their oil business is totally destroyed. It is destroyed, all these oil fields that used to provide quite a bit and wealth for his or her nation and their individuals. These issues are decrepit. They’re bankrupt. They should be reinvested in. It is apparent, you, they don’t have the potential to carry up that business once more. They want funding from non-public firms who’re solely going to take a position beneath sure ensures and situations. That has to go to the advantage of the Venezuelan individuals. Proper now, all of that wealth is stolen. It is stolen, and it goes into the palms of oligarchs all over the world and the oligarchs inside Venezuela. A handful of individuals profit from it. The individuals do not profit from it. On prime of that, it is quite simple, okay, within the twenty first Century, beneath the Trump administration, we’re not going to have a rustic like Venezuela in our personal hemisphere, within the sphere of management and the crossroads for Hezbollah, for Iran and for each different malign affect within the nation, on the planet. That is simply not going to exist.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, would like to hold speaking to you, however I am instructed you’re out of time. I’ve to depart it there.
MARCO RUBIO: Thanks.
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