Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against a United Nations report that downplays Venezuela’s role in South American drug trafficking. The report claimed most drug operations take place in Colombia and Ecuador, not Venezuela.
Speaking at a press conference with Ecuador’s foreign minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, Rubio dismissed the UN’s findings. He pointed out that around 5% of drug trafficking flows through Venezuela, compared to 87% through Colombia and Ecuador.
“I don’t care what the UN says. He’s a fugitive from U.S. justice indicted by a New York grand jury. He’s not the legitimate leader of Venezuela,” Rubio said, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Rubio also revealed that President Donald Trump had personally ordered the destruction of a drug vessel instead of capturing it. “And it will happen again,” Rubio said, adding that the Trump administration plans to “go on the offense” against cartels.
According to Rubio, Trump is determined to “use the full power of America and the full might of the U.S. to take on and eradicate these drug cartels, no matter where they’re operating from and no matter how long they’ve acted with impunity.”
Earlier that day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Maduro directly. “The only one who should be worried is Nicolás Maduro, who is acting as the kingpin of a narco state. He’s not legitimately elected and has been indicted in the U.S. with a $50 million charge. We know he’s involved in drug-running that has harmed the American people directly,” Hegseth said.
