Rubio: US not concerned about Russia escalation over Venezuela moves

While Venezuela and Russia have close ties, a recent strategy document from Trump said the United States will reassert its dominance in the Western Hemisphere and argued that the US should revive the 19th century Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere to be Washington's zone of influence.

The Trump administration has also carried out strikes against suspected drug vessels in the region, seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, and declared a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. Trump has also repeatedly said that strikes on land in Venezuela are coming soon.