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Secretary of State Marco Rubio became visibly frustrated during an interview in which he was pressed on why the U.S. arrested Nicolás Maduro but left the rest of his government in power.
Rubio appeared Sunday on Face the Nation on CBS News, where host Margaret Brennan questioned the logic behind the U.S. military operation that captured Maduro and his wife while other indicted Venezuelan officials remained in place.
- Marco Rubio grew visibly frustrated when questioned about why only Maduro and his wife were arrested, leaving other officials in power.
- Rubio defended the operation as a complex, dangerous mission targeting the top priority: Maduro, who falsely claimed the presidency.
- Rubio declined to provide a clear answer on who governs Venezuela post-arrest, emphasizing U.S. interests and court orders for sanctions enforcement.
“I’m curious why the Trump administration decided to leave [Maduro’s regime] intact and only arrest Nicolás Maduro and his wife,” Brennan asked.
Marco Rubio was visibly frustrated when pressed on the U.S.’ arrest of Nicolás Maduro
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“I’m confused,” Brennan added. “Are they still wanted by the United States? Why didn’t you arrest them if you are taking out the narcoterrorist regime?”
Rubio responded sharply to the question. “You’re confused? I don’t know why that is confusing to you,” he said.
Brennan replied, “They are still in power.”
Rubio pushed back, arguing that the operation was already complex and dangerous.
“You’re going to go in and suck up five people? They are already complaining about this one operation. Imagine the howls we would have from everybody else if we actually had to go and stay there four days to capture four other people,” Rubio said.
CBS: Why didn’t you arrest everyone in the indictment?
RUBIO: We got the top priority… the guy who claims to the president of the country. pic.twitter.com/HdDeQZHcwh
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) January 4, 2026
Rubio added that the mission focused on the top target. “We got the top priority. The number-one person on the list was the guy who claimed to be the president of the country that he was not, and he was arrested along with his wife who is also indicted. That was a sophisticated and, frankly, complicated operation.”
He continued, describing the operation in detail. “It is not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country,” Rubio said.
“The guy lived on a military base. Land within three minutes, kick down his door, grab him, put him in handcuffs, read him his rights, and leave the country without losing any American or any American assets.”
Rubio added, “That’s not an easy mission. You’re asking me why didn’t we do that in five other places at the same time? I mean, that’s absurd.”
Image credits: CBS News/YouTube
“I do think it’s one of the most, you know, daring, complicated, sophisticated missions this country has carried out in a very long time. Tremendous credit to the U.S. military personnel who did it. It was unbelievable, and a tremendous success,” Rubio said, continuing with his praise when Brennan interjected.
“Right, but the others who were also indicted are still in place, so that is the point of my questioning there. You talked about not being the legitimate president,” she reminded Rubio.
Rubio asked in return, “So you wanted us to land in five other military bases?”
“No,” Brennan expanded. “I’m asking why you chose that this was the limit of the military operation. To your point that you just made that Maduro was not the legitimate president.”
Image credits: Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
Rubio, speaking over Brennan, emphasized that Maduro was the primary target. “He was claiming to be the president. He was the top target.”
Later on Sunday, Rubio faced similar questions during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. Host Kristen Welker pressed him on who would govern Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, even asking if Rubio himself was in charge.
“Who is in charge?” Welker asked. “Are you running Venezuela right now?”
NBC’s Kristen Welker further pressed Rubio on who would govern Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump says the U.S. is going to “run Venezuela.” Under what legal authority?
RUBIO: We want a better future for the Venezuelan people.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I’ll ask again — what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders.
Pressed repeatedly, Rubio never… pic.twitter.com/ARIantqZeV
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 4, 2026
Rubio failed to provide a clear answer to her question: “Here’s the bottom line on it is we expect to see changes in Venezuela, changes of all kinds, long-term, short-term.
“We’d love to see all kinds of changes. But the most immediate changes are the ones that are in the national interest of the United States. That’s why we’re involved here, because of how it applies and has a direct impact on the United States.”
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Welker repeated U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for the time being, and asked Rubio who the “point people” would be before a new leader took charge of Venezuela.
“Is it you? Is it Secretary [Pete] Hegseth?” Welker pushed Rubio, who called it “running a policy.”
ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos questioned Rubio further, asking him under what legal authority Trump has announced that the U.S. would be running Venezuela.
“Well, first of all, what’s going to happen here is that we have a quarantine on their oil,” Rubio began answering. “That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interest of the Venezuelan people are met.”
“What is the legal authority for the United States to be running Venezuela?” Stephanopoulos pressed Rubio again.
“As far as what our legal authority is on the quarantine, very simple. We have court orders. These are sanctioned boats and we get orders from courts to go after and seize these sanctions,” Rubio said.
Trump announced on Saturday that Maduro and his wife were captured in a nighttime operation and removed from the country without U.S. casualties.
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