The Senate could vote Thursday to block the Trump administration from sending troops into Venezuela, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid out a vision to open up the country’s economy and allow for a government transition.

The prospect of an American occupation in the unstable country seemed possible after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, triggering protests across the U.S., including in Colorado Springs. But Rubio clarified that the U.S. expects to rely on oil sanctions to control the government led by President Delcy Rodriguez, the former vice president.

Rubio described a three-part plan on Wednesday to first stabilize Venezuela using oil, using strict enforcement of oil sanctions and a maritime quarantine as Washington’s primary leverage to motivate the leadership, the Miami Herald reported.

The second phase, dubbed recovery, aims to reopen the country’s economy under transparent rules that allow fair access for American, Western and allied companies while advancing national reconciliation through amnesty, prisoner releases and the return of political exiles.

A final transition phase would overlap with both efforts, gradually blending economic reopening with political change and “reconciliation nationally” that would lead to freeing imprisoned members of the opposition as Venezuela moves toward a new governing framework. 

At the same time, the Senate was expected to go forward with a vote on a War Powers resolution that would prevent President Donald Trump from sending armed forces into Venezuela without congressional approval. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, co-sponsored the bill, which has also attracted some Republican support, including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. 

“Bennet believes that Congress must reassert its role to prevent the President from his continued irresponsible conduct,” Bennet’s office said in a statement. 

The resolution would also have to pass the House to take effect.

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs, called the vote a distraction away from the successful arrest of Maduro. The former leader is now facing accusations of narco-terrorism in New York. 

“They need to stop these partisan games and work with us instead to continue to keep our communities safe,” he said in a statement. 

Following the change in Venezuelan leadership, Rubio said U.S. officials are now moving to seize and sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of that oil at full market prices — a sharp break from years in which Venezuelan crude was sold at deep discounts through opaque channels, the Miami Herald reported.

“We are going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting,” Rubio told reporters. The proceeds, he added, will be tightly controlled to ensure they “benefit the Venezuelan people, not corruption, not the regime.”

At current market prices, 30 million barrels of crude would be worth roughly $1.4 billion, while 50 million barrels would have a market value of approximately $2.4 billion.

If the U.S. sent troops into Venezuela to assist in Rubio’s plan, it could be a challenge to provide enough service members, said Karl Schneider, a member of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council board and a former Green Beret, who served in Iraq and other nations.

“We don’t have enough boots,” he said. 

The U.S. already has obligations in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere and likely couldn’t send enough people to properly secure the country that is about twice the size of Iraq. He expects it could cause chaos. 

“I think it’s going to cost a lot of our most precious asset, which is the blood of our kids,” he said. 

The U.S. forces would also face long-standing anti-American groups such as the National Liberation Army, or ELN, a rebel group that has already declared its intent to resist Americans. 

The ELN and other groups living in the jungle near the Colombian and Venezuelan border are “battle hardened” and could present a significant challenge,  said Assistant Professor Benjamin Young, an expert in intelligence studies at Fayetteville State University. The Colombian military, one of the best in South America, has been combating the armed groups for decades, he said. 

“I see no benefit of boots on the ground or a permanent occupation,” Young said. 

More armed conflict in Venezuela could also spark additional outbound migration, he said. About 7.9 million people have left the country since 2014.

Rubio did not provide a timeline or many details, but said he expected more information would be released in the coming days, the Miami Herald reported.

“There’s a lot of operational details that can’t be discussed publicly,” Rubio said. “But we feel like we’re moving forward here in a very positive way.”

The Miami Herald contributed to this report.