“This is about the safety, security, freedom and prosperity of the American people,” said Hegseth at the Mar-a-Lago presser. “This is America First. This is peace through strength. And the United States War Department is proud to help deliver it. Welcome to 2026.”

He continued, “And under President Trump, America is back.”

The Department of Justice has indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges. Captured during the overnight operation alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, he is expected to arrive in New York on Saturday.

Hegseth’s claim that the conflict is about “freedom and prosperity” clashed starkly with Trump’s own boast that America’s “greatest oil companies” will be “very much involved” in the future of Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are the largest proven reserves on Earth.

The defense secretary also used Saturday’s press conference as an opportunity to reiterate his seemingly favorite new phrase, stating, “Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance, until they didn’t and until he didn’t. He effed around, and he found out.”

Hegseth wasn’t the only Trump administration official on Saturday to double down on that warning, however, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a clip of Trump stating in October that Maduro does not “want to fuck around” with the United States.

Hegseth also glowingly championed Trump for his supposed humanitarian efforts in overthrowing Maduro to prevent U.S. drug deaths, noting — a lot — how “deadly serious” the president was.

“President Trump is deadly serious about stopping the flow of gangs, of violence to our country, deadly serious about stopping the flow of drugs and poison to our people, deadly serious about getting back the oil that was stolen from us and deadly serious re-establishing American deterrence and dominance in the Western Hemisphere.”