Hegseth, Rubio Brief Lawmakers on US Operation in Venezuela

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the briefing, ‘The U.S. military operation in Venezuela was a decisive and justified action.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a meeting with Congressional leaders and other cabinet members about Venezuela at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 5, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday briefed lawmakers on the operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters after the briefing: “The U.S. military operation in Venezuela was a decisive and justified action. Nicolás Maduro is responsible for the deaths of untold thousands of Americans.”