Overview
- Trump administration officials engaged with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the Jan. 3 seizure of Nicolás Maduro and have continued contacts since, warning him not to deploy security services or colectivos against opponents, Reuters reports.
- Cabello, named in a U.S. drug‑trafficking indictment and now carrying a $25 million U.S. reward, retains influence over military, intelligence and militia networks, positioning him as a potential spoiler to Interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s authority.
- Rodríguez has moved to consolidate control by installing loyalists and appointing Major General Gustavo Gonzalez to lead the DGCIM military counterintelligence agency, a step sources describe as aimed at countering Cabello’s reach.
- Rodríguez has engaged directly with U.S. officials, including a meeting in Caracas with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while President Trump has publicly praised her as a reliable counterpart.
- Associated Press–obtained DEA records indicate multiple investigations into Rodríguez, including a 2022 designation as a “priority target” tied to allegations such as drug trafficking and gold smuggling, though no U.S. charges against her were reported.