Trump signals Cuba next after seizing Venezuela's Maduro

WISE NEWS PRESS / WASHINGTON, D.C. — JAN. 3, 2026

Fresh off the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a wide-scale military operation, US President Donald Trump has hinted that Cuba could be the next focus of American intervention. Speaking alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday evening, Trump addressed the successful raid in Caracas before turning his attention to the island nation.

The operation, which saw US forces launch airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital and seize Maduro, marks a dramatic escalation in US policy in the region. When pressed by a reporter about the socialist government in Havana, Trump remarked, "Frankly, we're going to have to talk about Cuba, too".

Rubio warns Cuban leaders

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a long-time critic of the Cuban regime, issued a stark warning to Havana following the Venezuela operation.

"If I were a Cuban statesman today, I'd be a little worried, to tell you the truth," Rubio said. Trump added that the Cuban people have been suffering under "great difficulties," reinforcing the administration's aggressive stance toward socialist governments in Latin America.

Operation in Caracas

The comments came hours after the US confirmed it had carried out airstrikes on Caracas early Saturday. Social media footage showed plumes of smoke and fires burning across the city following a series of explosions.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump confirmed the capture of Maduro and his wife, declaring, "The United States has carried out a successful large-scale attack on Venezuela and its leader". The operation follows months of rising tensions, including drone attacks on Venezuelan infrastructure that Caracas blamed on the CIA.

Background of escalation

The US had recently ramped up pressure on Venezuela, targeting boats it claimed were trafficking drugs. Just days before his capture, Maduro had accused Washington of seeking to impose regime change to seize control of the country's vast oil reserves.

The successful raid on Maduro appears to have emboldened the Trump administration, raising questions about whether similar military actions might be directed at Cuba in the near future.

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