Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a longtime critic of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, is spearheading the Trump administration's intensified pressure campaign in a bid to curb drug trafficking from the South American nation and to push its strongman leader from power.
Initially, the administration had led a counternarcotics effort against Venezuela, using sanctions, targeted strikes, and other actions with a primary goal of stopping the flow of drugs into the United States, but that effort is now aimed at convincing Maduro that his role is no longer working, reported The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
Rubio, a former Florida senator, is working alongside several of Trump's closest advisers, including chief of staff Susie Wiles and the deputy chief, Stephen Miller, along with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who have been working for several months to align diplomatic, military, and law enforcement actions as part of their pressure campaign against Venezuela.
State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott downplayed Rubio's leadership role, however, commenting that Trump "drives and determines our foreign policy."
"It is the job of the Cabinet to implement," he added. "Secretary Rubio is honored to be a part of the President's team."
But Rubio, rather than taking a diplomatic approach, has focused on deportation agreements, revoked visas on ideological grounds, and authorized the use of lethal force against "narco-terrorists" accused of targeting Americans, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Maduro, in turn, has accused Rubio of orchestrating the campaign, calling him the "lord of war."
"President Donald Trump, you must be careful because Marco Rubio wants to stain your hands with blood," Maduro said last month.
Meanwhile, the United States has stepped up lethal strikes on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean, deploying nuclear-capable B-52 bombers near Venezuela's coast.
The bombers, which have been conducting training flights, are also collecting intelligence in the region.
The Pentagon has also moved in eight Navy warships, an attack submarine, F-35B fighters, P-8 Poseidon surveillance planes, and MQ-9 Reaper drones, and elite Army aviation units known as the "Night Stalkers" have trained near Venezuelan waters in recent weeks.
Venezuela has responded by moving troops and mobilizing its militias.
The pressure campaign has found strong backing among Trump's inner circle, particularly from Florida allies where anti-Maduro sentiment runs high.
In August, Bondi doubled the U.S. bounty on Maduro to $50 million and accused him of working with organized crime groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang.
"Nicolás Maduro is a narcoterrorist and fugitive from American justice who has deputized terrorist organizations to stay in power. His reign will not last forever," Bondi said through a spokesman.
Miller, who has played a central role in the planning, sees the campaign as a way to choke off narcotics routes and expand deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, one official said.
Trump, who also sought to unseat Maduro during his first administration, views the strategy as both a national security and domestic win that could bolster the economy through access to Venezuelan oil while curbing drug-related crime at home.
Rubio's dual role has allowed him to move quickly on policies he long championed in Congress.
Since taking office, he has toured Central America and the Caribbean, urging governments to align with Washington and calling Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua "enemies of humanity."
"President Trump trusts him because he knows Rubio truly understands the cancer of socialism and the need to eradicate it," said Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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