US sees Venezuela's security chief as prime target after Maduro's fall

After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has warned the powerful Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello could become a prime target unless he cooperates with Washington’s demands and helps maintain order, according to Reuters.

This comes as Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodrguez struck a defiant tone against Washington and insisted that no foreign power governs the country, declaring a week of national mourning for military personnel killed in a US military operation.

US officials have focused their attention on Diosdado Cabello, a hardline figure who controls security forces accused of human rights abuses. Cabello is among a small group of Maduro loyalists whom President Donald Trump has, for now, decided to tolerate as temporary power brokers during a fragile transition period, Reuters reported.

CABELLO PUT ON NOTICE BY US

As per the report, US intermediaries have conveyed a clear message to Cabello: defiance could leave him facing consequences similar to Maduro’s. The former Venezuelan leader was captured in a US operation last weekend and flown to New York to face prosecution on narco-terrorism charges.

US officials reportedly fear Cabello could act as a spoiler, particularly given his history of repression and rivalry with Interim President Delcy Rodriguez. While Washington wants his cooperation in the short term, it is also exploring ways to eventually remove him from power and push him into exile.

Targeting Cabello outright, however, carries risks. US officials worry that pro-government motorcycle groups known as colectivos could take to the streets, triggering unrest that Washington wants to avoid. Their response may depend on whether they believe other senior officials would shield them.

Another senior figure under consideration is Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, who, like Cabello, faces US drug trafficking indictments and carries a multimillion-dollar bounty, according to two sources cited by Reuters.

US officials believe Padrino’s cooperation is critical to preventing a power vacuum because of his control over the armed forces. He is seen as less ideologically rigid than Cabello and potentially more willing to align with US demands while negotiating a safe exit.

OPPOSITION SEEN AS UNABLE TO KEEP PEACE

The administration has concluded that Venezuela’s opposition, led by Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado, would struggle to maintain law and order at a time when Washington wants calm to reopen Venezuela’s oil sector to US companies and avoid deploying American troops.

Instead, Trump has embraced a classified CIA assessment suggesting that Maduro’s top aides are best placed to manage the country during an interim period. Officials fear that forcing an immediate democratic handover could plunge the country into chaos or spark a coup from within the ruling elite.

While the administration says it ultimately wants new elections, no timeline has been set.

- Ends

With inputs from Reuters

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