US denies being at war with Venezuela, insists on oil quarantine

United States has insisted that it is not at war with Venezuela but is enforcing a sweeping oil quarantine and law enforcement actions aimed at curbing drug trafficking, foreign influence, and what it describes as threats to American national security.

Speaking across multiple interviews on Sunday, as contained in a release  by the United States of America, United States Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio, said Washington is using “crippling leverage” through sanctions and court ordered seizures of Venezuelan oil shipments to force changes in Caracas.

According to Rubio, the policy follows the recent arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken into U.S. custody in what he described as a limited law enforcement operation, not an invasion.

Rubio explained that the United States is enforcing a quarantine on Venezuelan oil, allowing American authorities to seize sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuelan waters.

“What we are running is the direction this is going to move,” he said, stressing that the U.S. is not occupying Venezuela but is shaping outcomes through economic pressure.

He argued that Venezuela has become a hub for drug trafficking, armed gangs, and foreign actors such as Iran and Hizballah, posing a direct threat to the United States and the wider hemisphere.

Pressed repeatedly on the legal basis for U.S. actions, Rubio said the authority comes from American courts.

“These are sanctioned boats. We go to court, we get orders, and we seize them,” he said, adding that the operation to arrest Maduro did not require congressional approval because it was a targeted law enforcement mission.

Rubio rejected claims that the United States is “running Venezuela,” saying Washington is instead running policy designed to protect U.S. interests.

The Secretary of State confirmed that there are no U.S. troops stationed in Venezuela, aside from a brief operation lasting a few hours during Maduro’s arrest.

He said President Donald Trump retains all military options but has not ordered an occupation or long term deployment.

“We are not at war with Venezuela. We are at war with drug trafficking organisations,” Rubio said.

Rubio outlined conditions for easing U.S. pressure, including an end to drug trafficking routes through Venezuela, the expulsion of Iranian and Hizballah influence, and reforms to the oil industry to ensure revenues benefit Venezuelans rather than what he described as corrupt elites.

He said Washington would judge Venezuelan authorities by their actions, not public statements.

“We are not reacting to press conferences. We are reacting to what happens,” he said.

While confirming that Chevron remains the only U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela, Rubio said Western companies could show strong interest if reforms are made.

He noted that U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are well suited for Venezuelan heavy crude and that a restructured oil sector could generate revenue for ordinary citizens.

On calls for immediate elections, Rubio said such expectations were unrealistic given years of political crisis.

He reiterated U.S. support for democratic transition but said immediate priorities remain security and national interest concerns.

“Our number one objective is America, But we want a better future for the people of Venezuela as well.”