Sen. Rand Paul Declares Ongoing Conflict with Venezuela
On Sunday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced that the United States is involved in an “ongoing war” with Venezuela, particularly in response to recent U.S. actions regarding the South American nation.
While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Paul pointed out that tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to center around oil resources. He remarked, “The continued capture of oil along with the wars to manage its distribution are indeed acts of war.” Paul added that despite hopeful outcomes, the U.S. remains entangled in an active conflict with Venezuela.
In a recent context, the Trump administration initiated a seizure warrant aimed at vessels engaged in the Venezuelan oil trade.
Paul emphasized, “There are still hundreds of ships that have total blockade around the coast.” This situation arose after the U.S. undertook military actions to apprehend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and seized oil tankers during the Trump administration’s operations.
Venezuela, known for being one of the largest oil producers globally, has its oil sector heavily scrutinized by U.S. officials. They mentioned that oil sales to the U.S. would commence immediately, with estimates of 30 to 50 million barrels being shipped, and would continue for an indefinite period.
Trump had stated on Truth Social that, “This oil will be sold at market price and managed by me, the President of the United States, to ensure that funds benefit both the people of Venezuela and the United States.”
Trump also indicated that the U.S. presence in Venezuela would extend beyond a few months. The Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has emphasized their commitment to Venezuelan issues, aiming for the country, currently led by interim president Delcy Rodriguez, to hold elections.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll, a significant majority of American voters disagree with the Trump administration’s handling of the Venezuelan situation. Paul, as part of a bipartisan group, seeks to restrict Trump’s powers for further military operations against Venezuela. He argues that the recent military actions to capture Maduro qualify as a state of war.
Last week, this group attempted but failed to pass a war powers resolution in the Senate that would require congressional approval for any future presidential intervention.
Paul explained, “The issue with the war powers vote right now is that many Republicans will think, ‘That won’t happen in the future.’ They are hesitant to restrict the President.” He further criticized the notion that a war is only acknowledged after assessing casualties, describing that perspective as a bizarre understanding of conflict—the responsibility lies in formally declaring or initiating war.
