Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration is putting "America First" where it counts — in the Western Hemisphere — by ramping up pressure on Venezuela's narco-state and tightening scrutiny of Afghan arrivals after what he described as catastrophic vetting failures under former President Joe Biden.
In an interview Tuesday night, Rubio argued there's no reason U.S. naval power should be treated as "problematic" when it operates close to home, especially when the Nicolás Maduro regime is, in his words, "a transshipment organization" for cocaine and other drugs headed toward the United States.
Rubio said President Donald Trump has authorized a counter-drug mission in the region and noted that Maduro's anger is itself revealing: if the regime weren't complicit, it wouldn't feel threatened.
The secretary also pointed to federal charges made public in 2020 by the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan accusing Maduro and top allies of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking — evidence, Rubio told Fox News, that the world ignored until Trump decided to act.
Recent reporting has highlighted the administration's intensified maritime campaign against suspected drug-smuggling vessels tied to Venezuela, an effort backed by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, even as Democrats attack the strikes and demand more details.
Rubio went further, warning that Venezuela is also an underreported "foothold" for Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, creating what he cast as a direct hemispheric threat given Tehran's hostility toward the U.S.
In Rubio's view, this is precisely where Trump's strategy shines: focused pressure, clear objectives, and no appetite for open-ended conflict.
That same "limited, strategic, and focused" approach is now being applied to immigration and national security, Rubio said, after alarming concerns about Afghan admissions.
Asked about claims that tens of thousands of Afghans were brought in during the Biden-era evacuation despite "warning signs," Rubio said the administration has slowed the process "from day number one" and announced a formal pause while it takes "an extra look" at applicants.
Rubio stressed that vetting can never be perfect, because officials can only check what records exist — and in places with poor documentation and Taliban control, those records are often thin.
He also raised the risk of future radicalization, including online recruitment, arguing the danger increases when migrants struggle to assimilate or remain connected to extremist propaganda networks.
Separate reports in recent weeks have described new restrictions and pauses affecting Afghan travel and processing, as the administration cites security concerns and the need for tougher screening.
Rubio's bottom line: Biden "got suckered" by Maduro, but Trump "won't" — and on borders and security, the Trump team is done taking chances with Americans' lives.
Newsmax Wires contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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