'Not endless war.' US Republicans reject long-term occupation in Venezuela

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro was swift and targeted, not a full-scale military invasion.

After the classified session with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on January 5, House Speaker Mike Johnson also officially refuted rumors of a large-scale US military incursion.

"We do not have US armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country," Mike Johnson told reporters.

Republicans reject comparisons to the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, stressing that:

• The goal was to enforce the indictment against Maduro on narco-terrorism charges.

• The US has no intention of maintaining a troop presence for nation-building.

• Control of the oil infrastructure is a temporary measure to restore operations.

Trump's position and oil issue

Although President Donald Trump previously said the US would run Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that this referred to coordinating policy during the transitional period. Securing access to energy resources to stabilize the global market and support the country's reconstruction remains the priority.

The Republicans say that they are not going to be there forever, but they want Venezuela to be free, and American interests to be protected.

Earlier this week, US Army special forces carried out a large-scale Absolute Resolve Operation in Caracas, during which Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained. Washington has charged them with narco-terrorism, including large-scale trafficking of cocaine and fentanyl into the US.

However, beyond the fight against drug trafficking, the conflict has deep economic roots. In Hugo Chávez's era, Venezuela nationalized oil fields owned by American corporations. Donald Trump repeatedly called for the return of what he described as "stolen American assets," offering Maduro the option of stepping down voluntarily in exchange for asylum in Türkiye.

Maduro's refusal to compromise - along with his dancing on television amid escalating tensions with the US - became the trigger for a forceful response. He is currently in custody in New York, while Washington has assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio to oversee the country's transition. Trump has already confirmed that the US intends to take control of Venezuela's energy sector to help stabilize the global market.