In a press briefing at Mar-a-Lago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern warning to Cuba’s leaders following the U.S. apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during an incident earlier that day.

Rubio criticized Cuba’s leadership, describing them as “incompetent” and “senile.” He alleged that Cuban operatives had infiltrated the Venezuelan government, including Maduro’s security detail and the nation’s intelligence agency. “This struggling island has effectively taken over Venezuela,” Rubio stated, suggesting that the influence of Cuba in Venezuela was a significant issue for the latter.

“One of the major challenges for Venezuelans is the need to declare independence from Cuba,” Rubio continued. “They’ve attempted to essentially colonize Venezuela from a security perspective. If I were part of Havana’s government, I’d be at least somewhat concerned.”

President Trump, speaking prior to Rubio, expressed a desire for strong regional alliances, yet he painted a bleak picture of Cuba’s current state, labeling it a “failing nation.” He emphasized his administration’s dual aim of assisting both the Cuban people and those who have emigrated to the United States.

“It’s important to support those in Cuba, as well as those who have been displaced and now reside here,” Trump concluded.

Cuban officials condemned the strikes and capture. Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla wrote on the social platform X that his country condemned the “military aggression” of the U.S. “against Venezuela and the kidnapping of its legitimate President Nicolás Maduro Moros and his wife.”

The U.S. struck Venezuela early on Saturday, with explosions seen in its capital Caracas and three other states. The military’s Delta Force entered Maduro’s compound and captured him and his wife Cilia Flores. Trump said Maduro and Flores were aboard the USS Iwo Jima and heading for New York, where they will face charges.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the duo was indicted in the Southern District of New York. Maduro and Flores face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machineguns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices against the United States.

Trump at his press conference declared that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until a “safe” transition could take place. 

“We’re going to be running it with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly,” Trump said. “We’re going to make sure the people of Venezuela are taken care of and we’re going to make sure the people of Venezuela who were forced out by this thug are taken care of.”

Democratic lawmakers criticized the attack and said it was illegal without congressional approval. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Maduro “an illegitimate dictator” but said his capture “without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.”