U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio isn't mincing words when it comes to Cuba's role in Venezuela. Speaking to reporters at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday, Rubio delivered a blunt message to Havana following the U.S. military's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

A Warning Shot Across the Florida Straits

Rubio called out Cuba's leadership as "incompetent" and accused them of wielding substantial control over Venezuela's security operations. According to The Hill, he went so far as to say Cuba had effectively "colonized" Venezuela from a security perspective.

"If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned at least a little bit," Rubio said.

The comments came after President Trump emphasized the administration's desire to build better relationships with neighboring countries, while acknowledging the challenges Cuba currently faces.

Cuba Fires Back

Cuban officials weren't having it. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla took to social media to condemn the U.S. military action in no uncertain terms.

"The aim of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, in an attempt to forcibly undermine the nation's political independence. They will not succeed," he declared.

The Operation and Its Aftermath

The military operation went down early Saturday morning, with explosions echoing through Caracas and other Venezuelan regions. At least seven blasts were reported around 2 a.m. local time. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during the operation and are now being transported to New York to face a litany of charges, including narco-terrorism and weapons-related offenses.

Back in Washington, Democratic lawmakers are raising constitutional concerns about the operation, pointing to the absence of congressional authorization. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been particularly vocal, arguing that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to launch such military operations unilaterally, even against someone like Maduro.

Venezuela's government, predictably, has accused the United States of outright military aggression. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has demanded "proof of life" for Maduro and his wife as tensions between the two nations reach new heights.

The situation remains fluid, with geopolitical implications rippling across Latin America and beyond.