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The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly preparing a sealed criminal indictment against Delcy Rodríguez, the current interim president of Venezuela, for alleged corruption and money laundering offenses.
The information was shared in the podcast Reuters World News, where it was mentioned that the accusation is being handled discreetly and has the backing of President Donald Trump.
According to what was presented in the program, the court file would indicate Rodríguez for alleged financial crimes.
Furthermore, the report suggests that the Trump administration might be using this new criminal accusation as a pressure mechanism to advance its political agenda in Venezuela, amidst the transition process the country is undergoing.
Reuters noted that the preparation of the case is being done quietly by the Department of Justice, suggesting that formal details have not yet been made public in court.
According to ABC, the potential case would be heard in a federal court in Miami, which would open a new legal front separate from the ongoing proceedings in New York against Nicolás Maduro and his associates.
The newspaper also notes that Rodríguez was classified as a “priority target” by the DEA in 2022 and that U.S. agencies have reportedly been compiling investigations since at least 2018.
Additionally, ABC previously reported that the DEA would handle reports regarding alleged million-dollar dealings involving the leader and her partner, businessman Yussef Abou Nassif, with government contracts and corporate structures abroad.
The newspaper clarifies that these are unproven allegations and that Rodríguez has sued the outlet to rectify this information.
This probable accusation comes just days after the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, surprised many by publicly referring to the American leader Donald Trump as “partner and friend”, in a rhetorical shift that signaled a departure from years of direct confrontation between Caracas and Washington.
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