The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, assured this Saturday that Nicolás Maduro was arrested by U.S. personnel and will be criminally prosecuted in the United States, and that no new military actions are expected in Venezuela after his capture.
The information was disclosed by Republican Senator Mike Lee, who claimed to have had a direct conversation with Rubio in the last few hours.
Marco Rubio says Maduro will be tried in the U.S.
In a post on the social network X, Mike Lee noted that Rubio informed him that “Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to face trial on criminal charges in the United States.”
And that the military actions registered during the night were aimed at protecting and defending those executing the arrest warrant.
According to the senator, Marco Rubio also indicated to him that he does not anticipate further military action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in custody.
Legal framework and limits of presidential power
BREAKING: Sen. Mike Lee said Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed him that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was arrested to stand trial on criminal charges in the U.S., and that the strikes were meant to “protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.”
Rubio… pic.twitter.com/BM4HYsnkLy
– Fox News (@FoxNews) January 3, 2026
Mike Lee argued that the operation described by Rubio falls within the U.S. president’s constitutional authority to protect U.S. personnel from imminent attack, even though the power to declare war rests with Congress.
This argument aims to differentiate the reported action – an operation to execute an arrest – from a formal armed conflict between states.
So far, no court documents, specific charges or procedural details have been made public to independently confirm Maduro’s legal status in U.S. courts.
Nor has the Department of Justice issued an official statement with verifiable information about an indictment or initial hearing.
Trump’s statements and context of the operation
The statements attributed to Rubio come hours after President Donald Trump published a message on his social network Truth Social, in which he assured that the United States carried out “a successful large-scale attack against Venezuela” and that Maduro and his wife were captured and airlifted out of the country.
Trump added that the operation was conducted “in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement” and announced an 11:00 a.m. EDT press conference from Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to elaborate on details.
These statements followed reports of explosions and aircraft overflights in Caracas and other areas, broadcast by Venezuelan state-owned media and social networks.
As of press time, there is no independent confirmation from the Pentagon or the State Department detailing targets, scope, damage or casualties of the aforementioned actions.
The promise of no further military action could alleviate fears of escalation.
The press conference announced by Trump and eventual press releases from the State Department, DOJ or Pentagon are expected to clarify critical points: custody status, criminal charges, and the actual scope of the operation.
QuéOnnda will continue to report based on official and verifiable confirmations, given the extraordinary nature of the claims and their regional impact.
