Rubio Blasts ‘Narco-Terrorist’ Maduro, Says Venezuela Has No President

The U.S. government has once again ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring over the weekend that Maduro is not the country’s rightful leader and accusing him of running a narco-terrorist organization rather than a legitimate administration.

In a strongly worded post Sunday on X, Rubio asserted: “Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela... He is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken possession of a country.”

The statement comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas following contested elections last year that drew sharp condemnation from Western governments. The Biden administration previously refused to recognize Maduro’s victory, instead backing opposition figure Edmundo González, citing international reports of widespread electoral misconduct.

In a dramatic move earlier this year, Rubio ordered the confiscation of a Venezuelan state-owned aircraft in the Dominican Republic, signaling the Trump administration’s renewed posture toward Maduro’s government.

Last Friday, the U.S. Treasury escalated matters by formally labeling the Cartel de Los Soles as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization. The designation links Maduro and top officials in his inner circle to international drug trafficking networks and freezes any U.S.-controlled assets connected to the group.

While hardline options such as a naval blockade were floated during Trump’s first term, current moves suggest a mixture of pressure tactics and diplomacy - with recent backchannel negotiations reportedly leading to the release of detained Americans.