The Trump administration has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami not to pursue criminal investigations into Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime figure in Nicolás Maduro's inner circle and a past target of U.S. drug enforcement scrutiny, according to a new report.
The directive, reported by the Associated Press, comes as the White House deepens efforts to stabilize relations with Venezuela following the capture of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
Maduro was transported to New York in January to face federal narcotics charges after being captured. Rodriguez has stayed as interim president and pursued friendly relations with the Trump administration ever since.
Rodriguez has never been charged in the U.S., but DEA records obtained earlier this year by the AP show she had repeatedly surfaced in federal investigations dating back to at least 2018. Those records allegedly connected her name to inquiries involving drug trafficking and money laundering networks tied to senior Venezuelan officials.
A Justice Department spokesperson denied there was any active case to be buried. "There was never an investigation into her to shut down." Still, former law enforcement officials quoted by the AP alleged that they were told to back off from investigating Rodríguez.
"Everybody has been told to stand down," one former official told the news agency. The decision was intended in part to avoid disrupting the Trump administration's efforts to rebuild ties with political and economic ties with Venezuela after Maduro's removal.
Washington has steadily softened its posture towards Caracas since January. The warming relationship has largely centered on energy, considering Venezuela possesses some of the world's largest oil reserves. U.S. officials have increasingly framed the country as strategically important amid instability in global energy markets and rising tensions in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump has publicly praised Rodríguez in recent months, calling her a "terrific person" shortly after Maduro's arrest, and has formally recognized her position as president of Venezuela.
Duncan Levin, a former federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, told the AP it would be "deeply troubling" if legitimate investigations were halted for political reasons. "The White House cannot use criminal enforcement as a diplomatic light switch," Levin said. "DOJ decisions are supposed to be based on law, evidence, policy and public safety, not on whether a foreign official is useful to the administration at a given moment."
The AP report also noted similarities to another recent case involving Colombian President Gustavo Petro. According to the news agency, the Trump administration also eased pressure around federal inquiries tied to Petro after concerns emerged that criminal investigations could complicate diplomatic relations with Bogotá.
