Venezuela’s reported mobilization of military forces under President Nicolas Maduro underscores a widening security threat in the Western Hemisphere, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Newsmax on Thursday.
“Maduro is the head of an illegitimate regime,” Pigott said on Newsmax’s “National Report,” while responding to reports that the Venezuelan leader is preparing weapons, including Russian-made systems, and warning of potential conflict with the United States.
He added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is not engaging with Maduro’s threats but remains focused on the immediate danger posed by drug cartels operating from Venezuela.
“But let me be clear: we are engaged in a counter-cartel, counter-narco-terrorist operation,” Pigott said.
The scale of the threat is guiding the Trump administration’s urgency in its recent military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in South America and the Pacific, Pigott added, telling Newsmax that 25,000 Americans could fall victim to the drugs carried on just one seized boat.
He pointed out that the administration is pushing a whole-of-government strategy with regional partners to disrupt fentanyl precursors, illegal migration networks exploited by cartels, and the flow of deadly drugs, which is now responsible for the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 40.
Pigott emphasized that President Donald Trump had promised to confront the cartels and secure the U.S. border, and “he is doing just that.”
The conversation then turned to Ukraine, where Pigott said Rubio has been clear about the obstacles to new diplomacy.
Russia’s latest negotiating condition represents something “Ukraine can’t accept,” Pigott said, leaving peace talks frozen until Moscow becomes serious about a viable settlement.
“We’ve been clear that we’re ready to advance the cause of peace,” he said. “We want to see this war come to an end.”
But he stressed that the United States will not participate in a meeting “for the sake of holding a meeting,” insisting any diplomatic engagement must produce “concrete results” and “constructive steps.”
Pigott underscored the human toll of Russia’s continued offensive, citing the staggering estimate of 7,000 Russian soldiers dying each week. Trump, he said, wants families to be able to return to normal life once the conflict ends.
The discussion then moved to nuclear policy, where Pigott defended Trump’s pledge to resume U.S. nuclear capability testing, saying it aligns with what other major powers are already doing.
“This is on par with what other countries are doing,” he said.
Ensuring U.S. systems work safely is critical, Pigott said, especially amid China’s rapid military expansion.
Pigott framed the administration’s approach as part of Trump’s broader doctrine of deterrence.
“It’s about peace through strength,” he said.
Trump, meanwhile, has made clear the United States will maintain “the best fighting force in the history of the world,” capable of defending American interests and protecting its people.
He also pointed to Trump’s diplomatic record, noting the president has addressed “eight conflicts in just a matter of months” through diplomacy and new global coalitions. “No one can deny that this president is a peacemaker,” he said.
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