The Trump administration has instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations involving Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials cited by The Associated Press, marking another step in Washington's expanding rapprochement with Caracas after Nicolás Maduro's ouster.
The directive comes despite years of scrutiny by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which had identified Rodríguez as a "priority target" in 2022 and compiled intelligence files on her dating back to at least 2018.
AP previously reported that Rodríguez's name surfaced in nearly a dozen DEA investigations involving allegations ranging from drug trafficking and money laundering to gold smuggling, although she has never been criminally charged in the United States.
Despite this, a Justice Department spokesperson told AP recently that "there was never an investigation into her to shut down." Former officials familiar with internal discussions, however, told the outlet that prosecutors and investigators had effectively been told to "stand down" as the administration sought to avoid disrupting efforts to stabilize Venezuela and expand U.S. economic access to the country's oil sector.
The shift reflects a broader transformation in Washington's approach toward Rodríguez, who succeeded Maduro after his capture earlier this year and has since been recognized by the United States as Venezuela's acting president.
The Trump administration has lifted sanctions on her, reopened diplomatic channels and encouraged U.S. investment in Venezuela's energy industry. President Donald Trump recently described Rodríguez as "a terrific person" and praised growing cooperation between both governments.
The warming ties have generated criticism in both Washington and Europe. Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren recently questioned why sanctions were removed without "concrete and meaningful actions to restore democratic order." Meanwhile, the European Parliament approved a resolution urging sanctions against Rodríguez and other Venezuelan officials to remain in place until Venezuela holds free elections and releases political prisoners.
The policy shift has also deepened tensions inside Venezuela's ruling movement. Hardline Chavista figures, including pro-government television host Mario Silva, have accused Rodríguez of abandoning the ideological foundations of the Bolivarian revolution by negotiating with Washington and opening Venezuela's oil sector to U.S. companies.
Former federal prosecutor Duncan Levin told AP that pausing investigations for political reasons would be "deeply troubling" adding that "the White House cannot use criminal enforcement as a diplomatic light switch."
