Rubio explains how U.S. might 'run' Venezuela after Maduros' ouster

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Sunday appeared to backtrack connected President Donald Trump's assertion that the U.S. volition "run" Venezuela aft U.S. forces connected Saturday captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and hauled him to the U.S.

Asked for details connected however the U.S. plans to tally Venezuela, Rubio said the U.S. would usage leverage gained from its lipid blockade connected the state and determination subject buildup to execute its argumentation aims. He did not accidental the U.S. would straight govern Venezuela.

The U.S. successful caller months has seized tankers associated with the state and moved subject ships and warplanes into the Caribbean.

"What's going to hap present is we person a quarantine connected their oil, that means their system volition not beryllium capable to determination guardant until the conditions that are successful the nationalist involvement of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan radical are met, and that's what we mean to do," Rubio said connected ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

"That leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing and we expect that it's going to pb to results here," Rubio said.

Trump said connected Saturday said the U.S. would "run the state until specified clip arsenic we tin bash a safe, due and judicious transition."

The comments sparked a firestorm of criticism from Trump's adversaries and immoderate allies, who warned against a nation-building workout successful Venezuela.

"We person learned done the years erstwhile America tries to bash authorities alteration and federation gathering successful this way, the American radical wage the terms successful some humor and dollars," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said connected ABC connected Sunday.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn successful arsenic president pursuing Maduro's capture. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived successful New York connected Saturday nighttime to look charges related to cause trafficking.

Rubio's comments suggest that the U.S. volition instrumentality a softer attack with Venezuela than Trump's archetypal suggestions of ruling the state with a "group." Though Rubio said Trump inactive whitethorn instrumentality further subject enactment to execute U.S. goals.

Asked connected NBC's "Meet the Press" astir further subject enactment successful Venezuela, Rubio said Trump "retains each his optionality."

Rubio besides extrapolated connected the U.S.' aims with Venezuela's lipid reserves. Trump connected Saturday said the U.S. is "going to person our precise ample United States lipid companies — the biggest anyplace successful the satellite — spell in, spend billions of dollars, hole the severely breached infrastructure, the lipid infrastructure."

Venezuela sits connected the largest proven lipid reserves successful the world.

"Ultimately, this is not astir securing the lipid fields; this is astir ensuring that nary sanctioned lipid tin travel successful and retired until they marque changes to the governance of that full industry," Rubio said connected ABC. "The mode to code it to the payment of the Venezuelan radical is to get backstage companies that are not from Iran oregon determination other to spell successful and put successful the equipment."

Rubio said helium has not spoken to circumstantial U.S. lipid companies astir the imaginable of starting concern successful Venezuela. Currently, lone Chevron operates successful the country.

"We're beauteous definite that determination volition beryllium melodramatic involvement from Western companies," Rubio said.

Rubio said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright volition beryllium "taking an appraisal and speaking to immoderate of these companies."

Clarification: The U.S. subject captured Nicolas Maduro and removed him from Venezuela. That was not wide successful a notation successful an earlier mentation of this article.