Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Remarks To Press

QUESTION:  Were you at SOUTHCOM today?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah.  Not today.  I was there Friday.

QUESTION:  So any additional details —

SECRETARY RUBIO:  I was – I had a – the Polish Government foreign ministry did the Lech Walesa Award today for a Cuban dissident.  So obviously she’s not here, so I attended that this morning. 

QUESTION:  And what can you tell us about Venezuela?

QUESTION:  (Inaudible.)

QUESTION:  Any details to share about the Venezuela strike now?  (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, the President made – the President made the announcement and said it was a lethal strike.  I think the Pentagon will have more details and other things to offer you here in the next few hours (inaudible).

QUESTION:  What kind of vessel was it?

QUESTION:  Yeah, vessel —

SECRETARY RUBIO:  The drug vessel – carrying drugs.

QUESTION:  Size?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Huh?  Well, I’ll refer you to the Pentagon.  They’ll give you more details on that when – in the next – I anticipate shortly, at any – probably while we’re in the air.

QUESTION:  How many deaths are believed to have —

QUESTION:  What types of drugs were on board?  Can you tell us, is it —

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Again, look, I’m not trying to be evasive.  I’ll let the Pentagon answer that.  Suffice it to say that the President is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking into the United States.  It destabilizes not just the country but the entire Caribbean Basin.  These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean, at which point they just contribute to the instability these countries are facing.

So the President has been very clear that he is going to use the full power of America, the full might of the United States, to take on and eradicate these drug cartels no matter where they’re operating from and no matter how long they have been able to act with impunity.  Those days are over.

QUESTION:  The vessels are still in the region.  Do you plan those operations to – do you expect those operations to continue?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  I think as long as those vessels are in the region and as long as the President’s in the White House, he’s made very clear he’s not going to allow the United States to continue to be flooded with cocaine and fentanyl and other drugs coming from different places – this one is from Venezuela, which is a common route.  But by the way, some of it ends up in Europe.  A lot of it ends up in Puerto Rico and then on into the United States mainland.  So no one should be surprised.  That’s why they’re there on a counterdrug mission, and they’re going to continue to operate.  As far as specifics and future operations, I have to refer you to the Pentagon on that.  This is a DOD operation.

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, have you —

QUESTION:  (Inaudible.)  You said that it was operated by a cartel.  Can you share which cartel was operating the vessel?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Again, I’ll let the operators discuss all of that.  But I thought it was – the President was very clear, and that is we destroyed a drug boat that left Venezuela operated by a designated narcoterrorist organization, which is what these are, and he’s been clear that the days of acting with impunity and having an engine shot down or a couple drugs grabbed off a boat, the – those days are over.  Now it is we are going to wage combat against drug cartels that are flooding American streets and killing Americans.

QUESTION:  Will you take out the Maduro regime?

QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, what is the legal authority for this strike?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  The legal authority? 

QUESTION:  Yeah.

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well look, again, I’m not going to answer for the White House Counsel.  Suffice it to say that all of those steps were taken in advance.  The President has designated these as terrorist organizations, which is what they are.  When you flood American streets with drugs, you are terrorizing America, and that’s going to end.

QUESTION:  Will you act on Venezuelan soil against the Maduro regime?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, this is a counterdrug operation and we’re going to take on drug cartels wherever they are and wherever they’re operating against the interest of the United States.  The President’s top obligation is to secure the national interest and the national security of our people.  I know of no president that means that more than this one – our President now, President Trump.  And so, but we’ll – I’m not going to speculate about what might come down the road. 

Let’s get in the air, guys.  Thank you.