Rubio: We Will Not Allow Venezuela to Become a Gateway for the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, in an interview with CBS emphasized the role of the Islamic Republic in Venezuela, stating that the Trump administration "will not allow any country in the Western Hemisphere to become a point of influence and a gateway for [the Islamic Republic of] Iran, Hezbollah, and other malign actors in the 21st century." He pointed out the closeness of the Venezuelan government to Tehran, stating: "We are facing a country in the Western Hemisphere that, under the control of this regime, has drawn closer to [the Islamic Republic of] Iran, has drawn closer to Hezbollah, and has allowed drug trafficking gangs to operate with complete impunity from its territory." The U.S. Secretary of State stressed that this situation threatens not only the security of the United States but also regional stability, adding: "Under the Trump administration, we will not tolerate such a situation; that Venezuela could fall under the influence of [the Islamic Republic] Iran, Hezbollah, and any other malign force in the world will not exist at all." In another part of the interview, Rubio highlighted the key role of oil in the survival of the Venezuelan government, stating: "The important point is that the main pillar of that regime's reliance is an economy fed by oil." He described Venezuela's oil industry as "backward and devastated," adding: "This industry not only does not help the people, but none of the oil money reaches the people. It is all stolen by those at the top of power." The U.S. Secretary of State announced the continuation of the "oil quarantine" policy, stating: "There is currently a quarantine. If a sanctioned oil shipment is identified and a ship is under U.S. sanctions, we will obtain a court order and seize it. This policy will continue and is a very powerful leverage." He emphasized that this pressure will continue until real changes occur; changes that he said "will serve both U.S. national interests and lead to a better future for the people of Venezuela." Marco Rubio stated that Washington expects the Venezuelan government to comply with a set of actions: "We expect drug trafficking to stop, the problem of criminal gangs to be eliminated, FARC and ELN forces to be expelled from the country, and no close relations with Hezbollah and Iran in our hemisphere." The U.S. Secretary of State defended the arrest of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, stating: "What happened was that we arrested a drug trafficker; someone who is now going to be tried in the United States for crimes committed against our people over the past 15 years." He added: "His wife, who was with him, was also arrested. That’s the story." Rubio commented on the lack of arrest of other senior Venezuelan officials, including the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Interior, stating that such an operation was not feasible. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, multi-million dollar rewards have been set for the arrest of some of these officials, with charges against some of them, like Maduro, being "narco-terrorism."