Rubio Blasts Miami Herald 'Fake Story' on Imminent Venezuela Strikes; Trump Confirms No Plans

November 1, 2025 - Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly called out the Miami Herald on October 31, 2025, for publishing what he labeled a "fake story" claiming the Trump administration had decided to launch military strikes on Venezuelan targets "at any moment."

In a post on X responding to the Herald's article, Rubio wrote: "Your 'sources' claiming to have 'knowledge of the situation' tricked you into writing a fake story." The newspaper, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported that President Trump had approved attacks on military installations used by the Soles del Sol cartel, allegedly run by Nicolás Maduro's regime, to disrupt cocaine trafficking to the U.S. and Europe. Sources described the strikes as potentially hours or days away, aimed at decapitating cartel leadership.

President Trump addressed the rumors aboard Air Force One that day, stating "no" when asked if he had decided on strikes inside Venezuela. A White House spokesperson echoed the denial, clarifying no such decision had been made.

The report followed a Wall Street Journal story earlier that week noting the administration had identified land targets amid a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, including the redeployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group. Since September, U.S. forces have conducted 10 strikes on suspected narco-submarines and boats near Venezuela's coast, killing over 40 cartel members in operations targeting Tren de Aragua and Soles del Sol.

Rubio's rebuke highlights ongoing tensions with media over anonymous sourcing amid the administration's aggressive anti-cartel campaign, which has seized 500 tons of cocaine annually linked to Maduro.

Maduro, facing the pressure, penned letters to Russia, China, and Iran seeking urgent military support. In one to President Xi Jinping, viewed by The Washington Post, he requested "expanded military cooperation" to counter U.S. "escalation," fearing regime collapse. Maduro accused Washington of fabricating a pretext for invasion.

The denials come as opposition leader María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, warned Maduro "his time is up" and urged international intervention. The administration main focus remains on maritime interdiction, not regime change, with FBI Director Kash Patel praising the buildup's role in homeland security.