Rand Paul says US in 'active war' with Venezuela amid oil seizures and blockade

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Rand Paul said on Sunday, January 18, that the United States is currently engaged in an “active war” with Venezuela, citing recent military and economic actions taken by the Trump administration.

The Kentucky Republican described US seizures of Venezuelan oil and a naval blockade as acts of war.

His comments come amid bipartisan efforts in Congress to curb the president’s authority to carry out further military action without approval. The administration has defended its actions as necessary to stabilize Venezuela and protect US interests.

Paul cites oil seizures and blockade as acts of war

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Paul said US involvement with Venezuela has crossed the threshold into armed conflict, particularly through continued control of the country’s oil exports. “That is an act of war, it’s an ongoing war, to continue to take their oil, ongoing war, to distribute it,” Paul said.

 “I still hope it works out for the best, but we are still involved in an active war with Venezuela,” he added. Paul also pointed to what he described as a complete maritime blockade. “We still have hundreds of ships with a 100% blockade of the coast,” he said.

His remarks follow a series of actions by the Trump administration, including a US military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the seizure of oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude.

The White House has said Venezuela will immediately begin transferring oil to the United States, starting with shipments estimated between 30 million and 50 million barrels, with sales continuing indefinitely. 

Paul is part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers seeking to restrict further US military action. The group attempted to pass a war powers resolution last week that would have blocked additional intervention without congressional approval, but the measure failed in the Senate.

 “The only problem about a war powers vote now is that, since it hasn’t happened, there are a lot of Republicans who say, ‘Oh, that’s prospective. I’m not going to tie his hands prospectively,’” Paul said.

 “The problem is, if you wait until after an invasion, whereas the administration argues, ‘We don’t know it’s a war until we count the casualties.’ That’s sort of a crazy definition of war, because our job is to initiate or declare war,” he added.

Nobel dispute adds to tensions around Venezuela policy 

The administration’s actions toward Venezuela have coincided with a separate dispute involving the Nobel Foundation, which has drawn attention to Trump’s foreign policy claims.

The White House has escalated criticism of the Nobel Foundation after it blocked an attempt by Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to present Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. The foundation clarified that Nobel medals cannot be transferred or symbolically shared.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung accused the Nobel body of political bias, arguing it has failed to recognize what he described as Trump’s diplomatic achievements.

“The @NobelPrize has now issued multiple statements/comments on President Trump (who rightfully deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace to at least eight wars),” Cheung wrote on X. “Instead of trying to play politics, they should highlight the President’s unprecedented accomplishments.”