New Delhi, Jan. 5 -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Sunday that the United States would not govern Venezuela day-to-day other than enforcing an existing "oil quarantine" on the country, even as President Donald Trump again insisted that the U.S. would be in control following its ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro.

Rubio's statements seemed designed to temper concerns that the assertive action to achieve regime change in Venezuela might lead the U.S. into another prolonged foreign intervention or failed attempt at nation-building.

They stood in contrast to Trump's broad but vague claims that the U.S. would at least temporarily "run" the oil-rich nation, comments that suggested some sort of governing structure under which Caracas w...