Secret U.S. Contacts With Venezuela’s Interior Minister Revealed, Reuters Reports

Information has emerged revealing secret contacts between the United States and Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, with claims that Washington began communicating with him months before an operation aimed at detaining President Nicolás Maduro. The contacts reportedly continued even after the operation.

According to a Reuters report published on Saturday, multiple sources familiar with the matter said officials from the Trump administration held discussions with Cabello both directly and through intermediaries. During these talks, the United States warned Cabello against allowing security forces and pro-government armed groups under his influence to carry out violence against opposition figures.

Reuters reported that since the January 3 operation, effective control over Venezuela’s intelligence services, police, and armed forces has largely rested with Cabello. Notably, the same U.S. drug trafficking indictment that Washington cited as the legal basis for seeking Maduro’s arrest also names Cabello. However, he was not detained during the operation.

Sources said the communication began early in the Trump administration and continued until several weeks before the attempt to detain Maduro. Washington has reportedly maintained contact with Cabello even after Maduro was removed from power.

Reuters noted that these previously undisclosed communications formed a key part of the U.S. strategy to manage Venezuela’s internal stability. U.S. officials feared that if Cabello deployed forces under his control, it could trigger widespread unrest and weaken the position of interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

The report added that it remains unclear how extensive the discussions were regarding Venezuela’s future governance, or whether Cabello complied with U.S. warnings. Cabello has publicly declared his loyalty to Rodríguez.

Diosdado Cabello has long been regarded as Venezuela’s second most powerful figure. A close ally of late President Hugo Chávez, he later became one of Nicolás Maduro’s most trusted loyalists. The United States has offered a $25 million reward for information leading to Cabello’s capture over allegations of drug trafficking, human rights abuses, and repression—allegations he has consistently denied.