Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a classified briefing with senators on the situation in Venezuela, at the Capitol on Jan. 7, 2026. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
Testifying before the Senate on Jan. 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported “good and decent progress” overseeing Venezuela since U.S. forces captured the country’s former leader, Nicolás Maduro, on Jan. 3.
After ordering the mission to capture Maduro to face federal charges for an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. government would manage Venezuela through a transitional period.
