The Daily Journal.- According to an exclusive report by The Associated Press (AP) , the administration of President Donald Trump “quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid opening or advancing criminal investigations against Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez.”
According to the U.S. news agency, the current Venezuelan leader “has for years been a person of interest to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),” and Trump’s directive represents “the clearest sign yet of warming bilateral relations” between Washington and Caracas.
Current and former U.S. law enforcement officials told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the order to “pause scrutiny of Rodríguez” was intended to “avoid disrupting Washington’s efforts to stabilize Venezuela following the capture of her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro.”
“Everybody has been told to stand down,” one of the former officials quoted by the agency said.
Although a Justice Department spokesperson maintained that “there was never an investigation into her to shut down,” AP reported that internal DEA records show Rodríguez’s name “has consistently appeared on the radar of federal intelligence since at least 2018,” linked to “alleged activities ranging from money laundering involving hotel complexes on Margarita Island to ties with businessman Alex Saab.” However, “she has never been formally charged in U.S. courts.”
Washington eases sanctions and strengthens oil ties
The agency states that the move “eases judicial pressure on Rodríguez at a time when the U.S. government seeks to cooperate with the interim leader to open the country to foreign investment.”
AP reported that Washington “lifted the financial sanctions imposed on her during Trump’s first term” and also “formally recognized her as Venezuela’s sole legitimate head of state.”
That recognition allowed Rodríguez to “restore connections with Western banking institutions and organize business negotiations with American firms interested in developing the world’s largest crude oil reserves.”
The report notes that Trump publicly praised the Venezuelan leader in early March:
“Oil is starting to flow, and the professionalism and dedication between both countries is something very nice to see!”
Questions over delayed elections
Despite the growing bilateral relationship, AP warned that “deadlines for a formal electoral transition have remained frozen.”
The agency recalled that Rodríguez “exceeded the 90-day constitutional limit established by the Supreme Court of Justice to temporarily occupy the presidency following Maduro’s departure.”
When asked about the timing of potential elections, the acting president reportedly replied: “At some point.”
The situation has sparked criticism in the U.S. Congress. AP reported that Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent , criticizing the lifting of sanctions.
“Sanctions against Ms. Rodríguez has been lifted without any indication that she has taken concrete and meaningful steps to restore democratic order,” the lawmakers wrote, describing Rodríguez as a “central figure in Nicolás Maduro’s repressive regime.”
