The Trump administration is reportedly working directly with Diosdado Cabello, a powerful Venezuelan official under investigation for allegedly hiring a Venezuelan gang involved in a political killing in Chile. Cabello, who serves as Venezuela’s interior and justice minister, faces U.S. drug trafficking charges and carries a $25 million bounty.

Before the capture of Nicolás Maduro, U.S. authorities charged Cabello and a top leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in the same drug trafficking indictment as Maduro. The gang was designated a terrorist group by the U.S. president, who claimed Maduro had sent it to invade the United States. However, some law enforcement officials have suggested the administration may have exaggerated the threat to justify mass deportations.

After President Donald Trump returned to office, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials cited the Chilean killing as evidence of Tren de Aragua’s connections to Venezuela’s highest government levels and its reach across the Americas. When asked in May if the U.S. still considers Cabello a narcoterrorist, Rubio stated, “The policy of the United States on that topic has not changed, and when it changes we will let you know.”

Todd Robinson, a retired senior U.S. diplomat and former ambassador to Caracas, criticized the ongoing cooperation with Cabello. He questioned whether U.S. commitments to promoting the rule of law in the hemisphere are genuine or a cover for exploiting Venezuela’s oil resources. Robinson, expelled from Venezuela in 2018 after condemning human rights abuses, said, “It’s just a horrible, horrible idea to leave him in place. I don’t know what their aim is in doing that, unless it really is about oil, not democratic transition.”

This situation highlights an implicit geopolitical deal where Washington leverages the indictment against Cabello to secure his cooperation, while he maintains his power through control over Venezuela’s stability.

Sources