Following last weekend’s U.S. military operation in Venezuela, the Trump administration publicly thanked news organizations for not jeopardizing the mission by reporting on it in advance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that several media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, had prior knowledge of Saturday’s raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro but refrained from publishing details to protect operational security. “We thank them for doing that or lives could have been lost. American lives,” Rubio said.

The acknowledgment is notable amid Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s restrictive press rules at the Pentagon, which many mainstream news organizations have refused to accept. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Rubio said Congress was not briefed beforehand partly because the information could have leaked, but the primary concern was the safety of U.S. personnel.

Semafor reported that some outlets intentionally held the story to avoid endangering military personnel, a practice considered routine among national security reporters. Dana Priest, former Washington Post reporter, noted that news organizations routinely weigh operational risks before publishing sensitive information.

Most Americans learned of the Venezuela operation early Saturday when President Trump announced it on his Truth Social platform. While The Associated Press did not have prior notice, its journalists in Venezuela reported explosions hours before the announcement, though U.S. involvement was confirmed only after Trump’s post.

Hegseth has defended Pentagon press restrictions, citing the need to prevent solicitation of sensitive information, a policy challenged in court by The New York Times. Experts emphasize that, despite such rules, the ultimate decision to report sensitive information lies with news organizations, balancing public interest with the safety of personnel.