Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified transnational criminal and terrorist organizations tied to narcotrafficking as the most serious threat facing the United States from the Western Hemisphere, singling out Venezuela as the primary source of concern.

Speaking during his year-end press conference on December 19, 2025, Rubio said the U.S. faces growing danger from well-organized narco-terror networks that exploit weak governance, corruption, and state protection to move drugs, money, and weapons across borders.

“The single most serious threat to the United States from the Western Hemisphere is from transnational terrorist criminal groups, primarily focused on narcotrafficking,” Rubio said. “There’s one place that doesn’t cooperate — and it’s the illegitimate regime in Venezuela.”

Rubio accused the Maduro government of actively enabling and sheltering criminal organizations, including remnants of the FARC and the ELN, while allowing foreign extremist groups such as Hezbollah to operate within Venezuelan territory. He contrasted Venezuela’s posture with cooperation from regional partners such as Colombia and Mexico, which he said continue to work with U.S. authorities on counter-narcotics and security efforts despite ongoing challenges.

The secretary framed Venezuela as a strategic hub for illicit trafficking networks that threaten U.S. homeland security, regional stability, and democratic institutions. He emphasized that narcotrafficking is no longer solely a law enforcement issue but a national security threat that finances terrorism, destabilizes governments, and fuels violence throughout the hemisphere.

Rubio reiterated that the Trump administration will continue to apply diplomatic, economic, and security pressure on the Maduro regime while strengthening partnerships with allied governments to disrupt criminal supply chains, interdict drugs, and hold state sponsors of organized crime accountable.

The remarks signal a continued hardline U.S. stance toward Venezuela and reinforce the administration’s broader view that border security, counterterrorism, and foreign policy are inseparable components of protecting American lives and sovereignty.