National Security and Foreign Influence

After the U.S. raid that ousted Nicolás Maduro, President Trump has made former Maduro vice president Delcy Rodríguez the Biden‑era U.S. government's primary partner in Caracas—holding calls and meetings, dispatching CIA Director John Ratcliffe, pressing for the expulsion of suspected foreign intelligence personnel, asserting indefinite U.S. control over seized Venezuelan oil (announcing 30–50 million barrels to be sold at market price), meeting with Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, and completing an initial $500 million sale while U.S. forces interdicted tankers tied to sanctioned shipments. The shift has drawn scrutiny because AP‑obtained DEA files reportedly designated Rodríguez a 2022 DEA "priority target" — a label used for major drug‑trafficking or money‑laundering suspects — and she had been previously sanctioned by the U.S., even as she publicly calls for opening Venezuela’s oil sector and continues prisoner releases amid regional protests over raid casualties.