Trump Administration Maintained Secret Talks With Diosdado Cabello Before Maduro Capture

The Trump administration maintained secret communications with Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello for months before the U.S. launched its operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro.

“Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello attends a press conference, more than a week after the U”

AlbertoNews

Officials warned Cabello not to use the security services or militant supporters he oversees to attack the opposition.

AlbertoNews

The security apparatus remained largely intact after the U.S. raid on January 3.

Cabello is named in the same U.S. narcotics indictment used to justify Maduro's arrest but was not captured.

The communications continued in the weeks leading up to Maduro's capture and have persisted since.

The talks are central to the Trump administration's efforts to control the situation inside Venezuela.

Cabello has long been considered Venezuela's second most powerful figure.

He has wielded influence over military and civilian counterintelligence agencies.

Infobae

He has been closely associated with pro-government militias known as colectivos.

It is widely believed that Cabello has the power to keep post-Maduro plans moving or to derail them.

U.S. officials are concerned that Cabello could become a destabilizing element.

Rodríguez has been working to consolidate her own power.

Cabello has been under U.S. sanctions for alleged drug trafficking since 2020.

“The House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday on renewing a spy power that grants the Trump administration warrantless access to thousands of Americans’ communications”

The Intercept

A reward for his capture has increased from $10 million to $25 million.

He is named in the Cartel of the Suns indictment that also targets Maduro.

Cabello has publicly denied any ties to drug trafficking.

Some questioned why the United States did not also capture Cabello.

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar said only Diosdado is probably worse than Maduro and Delcy.