Trump declares national emergency over Cuba, threatens tariffs on nations that supply oil to communist regime

President Donald Trump on Thursday declared a national emergency via an executive order over Cuba, accusing the communist regime of aligning with hostile foreign powers and terrorist groups while moving to punish countries that supply the island nation with oil.

Thursday’s executive order states that the policies and actions of the Cuban government constitute “an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

To address that threat, Trump ordered the creation of a tariff mechanism that allows the U.S. to impose additional duties on imports from foreign countries that “directly or indirectly sell or otherwise provide any oil to Cuba,” according to the order.

The White House said the move marks a significant escalation in U.S. pressure on the Cuban government, aimed at protecting American national security and foreign policy interests.

MADURO’S CAPTURE IS ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ FOR CUBA’S REGIME, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE CHAIR SAYS

In the order, Trump said Cuba aligns itself with and provides support for “numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States,” naming Russia, China, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

The administration said Cuba hosts Russia’s largest overseas signals intelligence facility, which the order states attempts to steal sensitive U.S. national security information. The order also says Cuba continues to deepen intelligence and defense cooperation with China.

According to the order, Cuba “welcomes transnational terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.”

Trump also cited the Cuban government’s human rights record, accusing the regime of persecuting and torturing political opponents, denying free speech and press freedoms, and retaliating against families of political prisoners who protest peacefully.

“The United States has zero tolerance for the depredations of the communist Cuban regime,” Trump said in the order, adding that the administration will act to hold the regime accountable while supporting the Cuban people’s aspirations for a free and democratic society.

CUBA’S SHADOW IN VENEZUELA: HAVANA’S INTELLIGENCE AND MILITARY TIES EXPOSED AFTER MADURO RAID

Under the order, the Commerce Department will determine whether a foreign country is supplying oil to Cuba, either directly or through intermediaries. The State Department, working with Treasury, Homeland Security, Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative, will decide whether and how steep the new tariffs should be if so.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is tasked with monitoring the national emergency and reporting to Congress, while the Commerce Department will continue tracking which countries are supplying oil to Cuba.

In a fact sheet, the White House said the order is designed to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy from the Cuban regime’s “malign actions and policies,” and described the move as part of Trump’s broader effort to confront regimes that threaten American interests.

The administration said the action builds on Trump’s first-term Cuba policy, which reversed Obama-era engagement and reinstated tougher measures against the communist government.

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The executive order is set to take effect Friday.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.

Trump administration eases sanctions on Venezuelan oil industry after Maduro’s capture

The Trump administration announced Thursday it was easing sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry, as the U.S. aims to ramp up production in the South American country following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

The U.S. Treasury said it is authorizing transactions involving the government of Venezuela and state-owned oil company PdVSA that are “ordinarily incident and necessary to the lifting, exportation, reexportation, sale, resale, supply, storage, marketing, purchase, delivery, or transportation of Venezuelan-origin oil, including the refining of such oil, by an established U.S. entity.”

The new license includes significant carve-outs, with sanctions remaining fully intact for persons or entities in Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba.

TRUMP SIGNALS LONG ROAD AHEAD IN VENEZUELA IN HIS BOLDEST INTERVENTIONIST MOVE YET

It also excludes transactions with blocked vessels, Chinese-owned or controlled entities operating in Venezuela or the U.S., and debt swaps, gold payments, or cryptocurrency payments, including Venezuela’s petro.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump pushes for the expansion of oil production in Venezuela.

“We have the major oil companies going to Venezuela now, scouting it out and picking their locations, and they’ll be bringing back tremendous wealth for Venezuela and for the United States and the oil companies will do fine too.” Trump said during a cabinet meeting Thursday.

RUBIO SAYS US HAS NO PLAN TO USE FORCE IN VENEZUELA — BUT WARNS ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ COULD CHANGE THAT

Trump also announced during the meeting that commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an emergency notice earlier this month blocking civil flight operations by U.S. aircraft over the South American country.

“I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump said. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there and be safe. It’s under very strong control.”

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 Earlier Thursday, Venezuela’s government approved opening the nation’s oil sector to privatization, with Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signing the reform into law — a move that reverses a core principle of the socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.

Trump moves to reopen Venezuelan airspace as US seeks reset with acting government

President Donald Trump announced that the commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an emergency notice earlier in January to block civil flight operations of U.S. aircraft in Venezuela airspace. 

The notice came as the U.S. conducted strikes in Venezuela and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro. 

The Trump administration has said that the U.S. would run Venezuela until a peaceful transition could occur and is currently working to restore diplomatic relations with Caracas, Venezuela. 

“I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there and be safe. It’s under very strong control.” 

Trump said that he’s instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the U.S. military to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of Thursday. 

RUBIO SAYS US HAS NO PLAN TO USE FORCE IN VENEZUELA — BUT WARNS ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ COULD CHANGE THAT

Meanwhile, the U.S. is attempting to revitalize diplomatic relations with Venezuela following Maduro’s ouster. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Wednesday that the U.S. is planning to re-open its embassy in Venezuela. 

“We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground,” Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday.

The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, as well as flights between the U.S. and Venezuela, have been shuttered since 2019.

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Following the raid to seize Maduro, hundreds of U.S. flights to the Caribbean were canceled, including flights between the U.S. and Puerto Rico and Aruba.

Following Trump’s announcement, American Airlines announced that it would resurrect direct flights between the U.S. and Venezuela. 

“We have a more than 30-year history connecting Venezolanos to the U.S., and we are ready to renew that incredible relationship,” Nat Pieper, American’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “By restarting service to Venezuela, American will offer customers the opportunity to reunite with families and create new business and commerce with the United States.”

US moves fast to reopen Venezuela embassy after yearslong freeze

The U.S. will “very quickly” reopen its embassy in Venezuela and establish a diplomatic presence on the ground, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground,” Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday. 

The goal, he said, would be not just to interact with officials on the ground but also “civil society and the opposition.”

Such a move would mean restoring diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were broken off in 2019 when the U.S. embassy’s doors shuttered.

VENEZUELA’S DELCY RODRÍGUEZ SNAPS AT WASHINGTON, DECLARES ‘ENOUGH’ OF US INFLUENCE

The Trump administration has been in dialogue with Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s former vice president whom U.S. officials describe as an interim leader, since the capture of the wanted Venezuelan dictator.

Reopening the embassy would require the U.S. to acknowledge a governing authority in Caracas, Venezuela, capable of receiving diplomats — a step that would mark a clear shift from Washington’s long-standing refusal to engage Venezuela’s executive. 

The current Venezuelan leadership has “been very cooperative on that front,” Rubio said. “Obviously there’s been some hard asks along the way.”

Rubio said the administration is not seeking further military action in Venezuela but stressed that force has not been taken off the table. 

“The president never rules out his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told lawmakers, while emphasizing that the U.S. is “not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time.”

Rubio also offered details about the first $500 million of the U.S.-brokered sale of Venezuelan oil, saying $300 million went back to Venezuela to pay for public services, while $200 million remains in a U.S.-run account.

CIA DIRECTOR WAS IN VENEZUELA TO MEET WITH ACTING PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ, OFFICIAL SAYS

He declined to share details on how long Rodríguez would remain in power, but said a diplomatic presence would help keep a check on the new government. 

“I can’t give you a timeline of how long it takes. It can’t take forever,” Rubio said. “But it’s not even been four weeks.”

His comments come amid mixed signals from Venezuela’s interim leadership. In recent days, Rodríguez has struck a defiant tone toward Washington, declaring she had “enough” of U.S. influence in Venezuelan politics during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television.

The remarks appeared aimed largely at a domestic audience, even as Venezuela remains constrained by U.S. sanctions and dependent on American decisions over oil licenses and revenue controls.

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Rubio said the administration’s goal is to push Venezuela toward a democratic transition, describing the Maduro regime as “a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.” 

He said the U.S. is aiming for a “friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela and democratic… with free and fair elections,” while acknowledging the process will take time.

Pressed on corruption concerns, Rubio said an audit mechanism is being established. 

“The audit will be on,” he told senators, stressing that spending would be restricted to approved public needs.

Capitol police arrest Rubio hearing disruptor; Republican senator says ‘off to jail’

The U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital one person was arrested for disrupting Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. 

The individual was escorted from the hearing room at the Dirksen Senate Office Building as Rubio was about to deliver his opening statement about U.S. policy towards Venezuela.  

“All right, here we go … you know the drill, off to jail,” Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said after a man in the audience got up and started yelling about a “war crime” while holding a sign that said “Hands Off Venezuela.” 

“That’s a one-year ban from the committee. Anyone who is a persistent violator will be banned for three years. So, I don’t know whether the guy falls in that category, looks like it,” added Risch, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I hope after three years he’ll find a more productive means of employment.”

TRUMP HAILS RUBIO AS DIPLOMATIC MENTOR AS SECRETARY OF STATE’S POWER GROWS

“Secretary Rubio, we have two hearings a week. You know, you seem to have a more robust following than most of our witnesses that come before us,” Risch added. 

“There’ll be a couple more. Thank you for stopping the clock, but I appreciate it,” Rubio responded. 

The U.S. Capitol Police said the individual was arrested for demonstrating in a committee.  

VENEZUELA’S DELCY RODRIGUEZ SNAPS AT WASHINGTON, DECLARES ‘ENOUGH’ OF US INFLUENCE

“It is against the law to protest inside the congressional buildings,” the U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital.

Prior to the outburst, Risch thanked the audience for their attendance but also warned, “This is a public hearing. It is also the official business of the United States of America. And as a result of that, the committee has a zero-tolerance policy for interruptions or for attempts by anyone in the room to communicate with somebody up here or the witness.

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“So, as a result of that, if you do disrupt, you will be arrested. You’ll be banned for a year,” he continued. “However, I’m told that we have some guests today who have completed their ban and are back with us again today. We hope you’ve had the time to think about your indiscretions and will behave yourself today. If you don’t, as a persistent violator, you’ll be banned for three years this time.” 

Rubio warns NATO allies US is ‘not simply focused on Europe,’ doesn’t have unlimited resources

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he relayed to NATO allies that the U.S. “may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources.” 

Rubio made the remark at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Venezuela, during which he spoke about the American military operation to capture former dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.  

“One of the things we’ve explained to our allies in NATO is the United States is not simply focused on Europe. We also have defense needs in the Western Hemisphere. We have defense needs in the Indo-Pacific, and it will require us – we may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources,” Rubio said. 

When pressed by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., on whether the U.S. still benefits from NATO, Rubio said, “We do. I mean, the problem, but NATO needs to be reimagined as well in terms of the obligations.”

NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND

“And this is not new to this president. Multiple presidents have complained about it. I think this president just complains about it louder than other presidents,” the secretary added.

TRUMP’S NATO WARNING PUSHES EUROPE TO FACE THE COST OF DEFENDING ITSELF

Rubio added that prior to Maduro’s capture on Jan. 3, “We had in our hemisphere a regime operated by an indicted narco-trafficker that became a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.”

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Rubio also said Wednesday, “We are certainly better off today in Venezuela than we were four weeks ago.” 

“I’m not here to claim to you this is going to be easy or simple,” Rubio told lawmakers. “I am saying that in three and a half, almost four weeks, we are much further along on this project than we thought we would be, given the complexities of it going into it, and I recognize that it won’t be easy. I mean, look, at the end of the day we are dealing with people over there that have spent most of their lives living in a gangster paradise.” 

Rubio says US has no plan to use force in Venezuela — but warns ‘imminent threat’ could change that

The U.S. is not preparing to utilize additional military force in Venezuela, but won’t hesitate to employ such force in the event of an “imminent threat,” according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

“The president never rules out his options as commander-in-chief to protect the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday. “I can tell you right now, with full certainty, we are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.” 

That said, Rubio said that certain events could warrant military actions — pointing to a hypothetical scenario where an Iranian drone factory emerged in the region and threatened U.S. presence or allies there. 

“The president does reserve the option in self-defense to eliminate that threat,” Rubio said. “We don’t see that, we don’t anticipate that, but it could happen. We hope not … But I think it would require the emergence of an imminent threat of the kind that we do not anticipate at this time.” 

POST TRUMP MEETING, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS COUNTRY WILL HOLD ‘FREE AND FAIR’ ELECTIONS ‘EVENTUALLY’

Rubio’s remarks came in response to questions about his prepared statement, which said that the U.S. is prepared to exert military force to ensure cooperation from Venezuela’s interim government if it defies Washington following the ouster of dictator Nicolás Maduro. 

“We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” Rubio’s prepared testimony had said, which he ultimately did not end up using. “It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this hemisphere.”

Rubio’s prepared testimony also maintained that there are no U.S. troops in Venezuela and that the operation did not amount to waging a war in Caracas.

“There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” Rubio said in his prepared remarks. “There are no U.S. troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement.”

The move to ouster Maduro has attracted scrutiny, mostly from Democrats, who have called into question the legality of the operation in Venezuela, which was conducted without Congress’ approval. 

But efforts in Congress to pass a war powers resolution that would have limited the Trump administration from conducting additional military action in Venezuela failed to pass earlier in January. Rubio previously has claimed Congressional approval wasn’t required because the operation was not an “invasion.”

On Wednesday, Rubio said that should U.S. military forces be involved in Venezuela in a “sustained” way, Congress would receive notification 48-hours after the fact and would be required to receive Congressional approval if the engagement lasted longer than 60 days. 

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., also pressed Rubio on why senior administration officials had previously told the committee that military action to remove Maduro was not on the table. 

“If there was time to practice, there was time to consult,” Coons said. “And consulting Congress is not just some high-minded principle, not some abstract thing, not a nice to have. It’s a got to have.” 

Rubio said that Congress wasn’t consulted about the potential raid due to concerns from the Department of War about leaks and because it wasn’t even a possibility to execute such a mission until late December 2025 after all negotiation efforts with Maduro had failed. 

“It was also a trigger-based operation. It may never have happened,” Rubio said. “It required a number of factors to all align at the right place, at the right time, in a very limited window, and it wasn’t even clear if it was ever going to be possible.” 

SEN TIM KAINE: TRUMP’S VENEZUELA STRIKE TRAMPLED CONGRESS’ WAR POWERS. CONGRESS MUST STOP IT

On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. special forces had executed a “large-scale strike” against Caracas, Venezuela, and seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The two were transported to New York and appeared in a Manhattan federal court Jan. 5 on drug charges, when they each pleaded not guilty.

The raid followed months of pressure on Venezuela to squeeze out Maduro amid more than two dozen strikes in Latin American waters against alleged drug traffickers — which the Trump administration claimed aligned with Trump’s effort to curb the influx of drugs into the U.S.

Since Maduro’s capture, the U.S. has conducted at least one additional strike against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the region. 

The Trump administration had previously asserted that it did not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state and instead, claimed he was the leader of a drug cartel. Additionally, Trump said in December 2025, shortly before the operation, that he believed it would be “smart” for Maduro to step down.

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The Trump administration has so far backed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to lead Venezuela’s interim government. 

Rubio scheduled to appear before Senate to outline Trump’s Venezuela policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will publicly testify on the Trump administration’s policy in Venezuela Wednesday morning after vowing to lawmakers that no more military action was expected in the region. 

Rubio is expected to tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “there is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by Fox News.

“There are no U.S. troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement,” Rubio will say, referring to how U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, earlier this month. 

“The United States is prepared to help oversee Venezuela’s transition from a criminal state to a responsible partner,” Rubio’s prepared remarks state.

He will describe Maduro and Flores as “two indicted fugitives from American justice.” 

SECRETARY RUBIO SCHEDULED TO FACE FORMER COLLEAGUES ON VENEZUELA POLICY

“Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and the professionalism of the United States Armed Forces, a man who built his power on drugs, corruption and repression will now face justice,” Rubio will tell the committee.

The secretary is expected to tell the committee that the U.S. remains ready to use additional force, if necessary. According to his prepared remarks, Rubio assesses that Maduro’s successor, interim President Delcy Rodríguez, has stated her intention to cooperate with the U.S. and has “committed to opening Venezuela’s energy sector to American companies, providing preferential access to production, and using revenues to purchase American goods.” 

Rubio will also say Rodríguez “has pledged to end Venezuela’s oil lifeline to the Cuban regime and to pursue national reconciliation with Venezuelans at home and abroad.”

“Rodríguez is well aware of the fate of Maduro; it is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives,” Rubio’s prepared remarks state. 

“We will closely monitor the performance of the interim authorities as they cooperate with our stage-based plan to restore stability to Venezuela,” the secretary will add. “Make no mistake, as the President has stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail. It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this Hemisphere.” 

“The President has made clear that the Western Hemisphere is our home, and we will not tolerate criminality within this Hemisphere that harms American citizens or permit territory to become platforms for our adversaries,” Rubio is expected to tell the committee. “Last month the President acted to uphold that principle in Venezuela, and we will continue to do so as is required to keep the American people safe and secure.”

Rubio’s return to the Hill, an increasingly frequent occurrence in recent months, comes after he, President Donald Trump, administration officials and Senate Republican leadership successfully killed a bipartisan push to rein in the president’s war authorities in Venezuela. 

His scheduled appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday at 10 a.m. comes just weeks after he helped to convince two lawmakers, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to flip their votes and back the administration. 

Both were concerned about boots on the ground in Venezuela and Congress’ constitutional authority to weigh in on the matter.

They were convinced by Rubio and the administration that no further military action would take place, and that if it were, Trump would come to Congress first. 

Young said at the time that the effort, spurred by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was ultimately just a messaging exercise that never would have survived in the House, nor evaded a veto from Trump. 

“I had to accept that this was all a communications exercise,” Young said. “I think we [used] this moment to shine a bright light on Congress’ shortcomings as it relates to war powers in recent history.”

RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’

Rubio also wrote to Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, to spell out that the administration would clue in Congress should any future military action take place in the region.

“Should there be any new military operations that introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, they will be undertaken consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and we will transmit written notifications consistent with section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148),” he said.

However, Rubio’s appearance before the panel comes on the heels of unrest stateside following another fatal shooting in Minnesota, where Alex Pretti was killed in the midst of a Department of Homeland Security-led immigration operation in Minneapolis.

KAINE VOWS NEW WAR POWERS FIGHTS AFTER SENATE BLOCKS TRUMP VENEZUELA CHECK

While he won’t have to answer for that situation, it has drastically shifted the Senate’s attention over the last several days. 

It also follows Kaine’s vow to file several more war powers resolutions against Trump, specifically against action in Greenland, Iran and elsewhere. 

Kaine believed that he could take advantage of cracks that formed in Republicans’ unified front earlier this month, when five joined all Senate Democrats to advance his resolution to require any future military action in Venezuela would need Congress’ approval.

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“The way cracks grow is through pressure and the pressure campaign that I sort of decided to launch by use of these privileged motions,” Kaine said after his initial push failed. 

“I’m going to file every one I can to challenge emergencies, to challenge unlawful wars, to seek human rights reports, arms transfers if they’re wrong,” he continued.