President Donald Trump warned Saturday that Cuba and Colombia could be next after the U.S. military’s dramatic capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, signaling a far more aggressive posture toward leftist regimes in the Western Hemisphere.
Speaking at a press conference following Maduro’s arrest, Trump suggested that the operation in Venezuela sent a clear message beyond Caracas.
“I think Cuba is going to be something we’ll end up talking about,” Trump said. “Cuba is a failing nation right now, very badly failing, and we want to help the people. That system has not been a very good one for Cuba.”
Trump pointed to decades of communist rule on the island, arguing that ordinary Cubans have suffered under what he called a broken system.
The remarks came after Trump reinstated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism shortly after returning to office, reversing a Biden-era decision and reimposing strict sanctions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban refugees, echoed the warning and did not mince words.
“Suffice it to say, Cuba is a disaster,” Rubio said. “It’s run by incompetent, senile men. If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned, at least a little bit.”
Trump also issued a blunt warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing his government of enabling the drug trade, per the Daily Mail.
“He has cocaine mills,” Trump said. “He has factories where he makes cocaine. He’s sending it to the U.S., and because of that, he has to watch his a**.”
The comments followed Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. military mission that used roughly 150 aircraft and elite ground forces to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, inside Venezuela. The pair is now being transported to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons charges.
Trump authorized the operation late Friday night, and within hours, U.S. forces were executing coordinated air and ground strikes across Venezuela. Delta Force operators ultimately apprehended Maduro alive and transferred him to the USS Iwo Jima.
Shortly before the press conference, Trump released an image of a blindfolded Maduro in U.S. custody, reinforcing the administration’s message that the era of impunity for narco-linked regimes is over.
The president said he deliberately did not notify Congress ahead of the mission, arguing that leaks could have endangered American troops.
“When I tell Congress things, they tend to leak,” Trump said. “That puts soldiers at risk.”
Trump also doubled down on his claim that the United States will temporarily govern Venezuela during a transition period.
“We’re going to run the country until we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” he said. “We don’t want to have the same situation again.”
While Trump offered few specifics on how Venezuela would be administered, he suggested the country’s vast oil reserves could be used to fund its recovery. He said Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would oversee the interim phase.
As protests erupted in Havana in solidarity with Maduro, Trump’s remarks made clear that Venezuela may not be the end of the story.
With Cuba and Colombia now openly mentioned, the administration appears prepared to reshape the political landscape of the region through force if necessary.
The warning was unmistakable. Maduro fell. Others may be next.
