Rubio Reports Good Progress With Post-Maduro Venezuela

Rubio told lawmakers that the Trump administration considered the possibility of civil war and mass migration from Venezuela following Maduro’s capture.

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.