Three people familiar with the matter said the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has placed Venezuela’s interior minister at the top of its list of potential targets unless he helps interim president Delcy Rodríguez meet U.S. demands and maintain order following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
One source familiar with the administration’s thinking said Diosdado Cabello, who controls security forces accused of widespread human rights abuses, is one of a small number of Maduro loyalists whom Trump has decided to rely on as interim rulers to maintain stability during the transition period.
A source, who requested anonymity, said officials are deeply concerned that Cabello could obstruct their efforts given his record of repression and his history of rivalry with Rodríguez. They are seeking to compel him to cooperate while simultaneously exploring ways to remove him from power and ultimately exile him.
Warning to Cabello
The source said officials conveyed messages to Cabello through intermediaries warning that if he defies them, he could face a fate similar to Maduro’s or even have his life put at risk.
Maduro was arrested in a U.S. raid on Saturday and immediately transferred to New York to stand trial on charges of “narco-terrorism.”
However, moving against Cabello could be risky, as it might prompt pro-government motorcycle gangs known as “colectivos” to take to the streets, leading to chaos that Washington is seeking to avoid. The reaction of these armed paramilitary groups may depend on whether they feel protected by other officials.
Two sources said officials on the list of potential targets include Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, who, like Cabello, faces U.S. accusations of drug trafficking, with multimillion-dollar rewards offered for information leading to his arrest.
A U.S. Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “This remains a law enforcement operation, and it is not over yet.”
Officials believe Padrino’s cooperation is necessary to avoid a power vacuum given his leadership of the armed forces.
The source familiar with the administration’s thinking said officials believe Padrino is less hardline than Cabello and more inclined to align with U.S. policy, while also seeking to ensure his own safe exit.
A senior Trump administration official declined to answer Reuters’ questions on the matter but said in a statement: “The president is talking about applying maximum pressure on the remaining elements in Venezuela and ensuring their cooperation with the United States by stopping illegal migration and drug flows, modernizing oil infrastructure, and doing what is in the best interest of the Venezuelan people.”
Reuters
