THE Trump administration is prepared to take further military action against Venezuela if its interim leadership fails to meet US expectations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to tell Congress last night.

In prepared testimony for a Senate foreign relations committee hearing, Mr Rubio said the United States was not at war with Venezuela and that its acting leadership was co-operating.

But he warned that force remained an option if “maximum co-operation” is not met after the military raid earlier this month that kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro.

“It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people,” Mr Rubio was expected to say, according to remarks released by the State Department.

The former Florida senator was also expected to defend President Donald Trump’s decision to abduct Mr Maduro to face US drug-trafficking charges, continue lethal strikes on boats that Washington claims are smuggling narcotics and seize sanctioned tankers carrying Venezuelan oil. 

Washington has not provided evidence to support its allegations.

Mr Rubio was expected to reject claims that the president has exceeded his constitutional authority.

Democrats have criticised Mr Trump’s actions as an abuse of executive power, though most Republicans have backed them. 

Last week, the House of Representatives narrowly defeated a war powers resolution that would have required US forces to withdraw.

Legal challenges have also begun, with the families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a US boat strike filing what is believed to be the first wrongful death case linked to the campaign. 

Since September, at least 126 people have been killed in dozens of such strikes.