Maduro and Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores are charged in the US with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offences. Ahead of their appearance in court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that the United States is "not at war with Venezuela". However, he told NBC News that the country will continue striking alleged drug boats.
“We are at war against drug trafficking organisations; it's not a war against Venezuela,” he said. Meanwhile, Trump also laid out a warning to Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, saying in an interview with The Atlantic that “if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price.”
The administration’s surprise ouster and capture of a foreign head of state have drawn praise from Trump’s supporters but also bipartisan criticism, with some lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioning the legality of the attack and expressing fears it could drag the US into another costly and drawn-out war. While a calm has appeared in Venezuela, the tensions are far from over.
