The Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Caracas, John Barrett, refrained from answering on Tuesday whether the $25 million reward for the capture of Diosdado Cabello remains in effect, following the controversy sparked by photographs showing him alongside the Venezuelan Minister of Interior during the humanitarian operations after the earthquakes on June 24.
The question arose during a virtual press conference regarding the humanitarian response to the earthquake disaster, when the journalist Roberto Macedonio from NTN24 directly questioned the diplomat:
"Does Washington maintain its policy regarding Diosdado Cabello? Is the reward for his capture still in effect, or has the State Department changed its stance on him?"
Barrett neither confirmed nor denied a change in stance and redirected the question towards the humanitarian agenda.
"The State Department is fully focused on responding to the devastating earthquake in Venezuela and advancing President Trump's three-phase plan for Venezuela, which remains intact. This includes stabilization, economic recovery, reconciliation, and democratic transition," the diplomat stated.
In the same conference, General Francis Donovan, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, also did not respond directly to a question about a possible return of the opposition leader María Corina Machado to Venezuela.
The photographs that sparked the controversy
The images that sparked the debate show two distinct moments, both equally laden with political symbolism.
In the first photo, Barrett appears alongside Cabello during a night rescue operation, with the diplomat resting a hand on the arm of the Venezuelan minister in a gesture of closeness.
In the second image, General Donovan -the same military leader who directed the "Operation Absolute Resolution" that culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026- appears greeting and casually conversing with Cabello, recognizable by his cap with the initials "D. CABELLO R." and three stars.
Both photographs were taken during the farewell for more than 350 American officials and rescuers who participated in the support efforts following the earthquake, according to Venezuelan journalist Noelia Belén Izarza on July 5
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And these images say a lot. For millions of Venezuelans, this scene is hard to digest."
Who is Cabello in the eyes of U.S. justice?
Cabello is not just any Venezuelan official for Washington.
The Department of the Treasury sanctioned him in 2018 for corruption and drug trafficking, and in 2020 he was formally accused of narco-terrorism alongside Maduro.
The Southern District of New York Prosecutor's Office charges him with narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of firearms.
He is also identified as the presumed leader of the Cártel de los Soles, an organization of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials involved in drug trafficking.
The reward for their capture was increased from 15 to 25 million dollars in January 2025 by the Biden administration, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed it on May 5, 2026:
“We continue to consider Diosdado Cabello a narcoterrorist”, declared the head of U.S. diplomacy just two months before the controversy erupted.
The reaction from lawmakers and the opposition
The Republican congressman from Florida, Carlos Giménez, reiterated that the reward for Cabello remains in effect and maintained that a humanitarian mission does not alter the accusations faced by the Venezuelan leader.
Republican congressman Mario Díaz-Balart stated that Cabello must answer to U.S. justice for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
From the Venezuelan opposition, José Amalio Graterol, an opposition political secretary, compared the photograph of Barrett with Cabello to an image alongside the "Niño Guerrero," emphasizing the symbolic gravity of the rapprochement.
The pragmatism of the emergency
On June 24, two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 shook Venezuela, the most intense recorded in the country in over a century. As of July 8, the official toll had risen to 3,685 dead, with the UN estimating up to 50,000 missing.
The United States led the international response with 37 aircraft and more than 310 million dollars in aid.
In that scenario, Cabello – who controls the country's security structures as Minister of the Interior – became an unavoidable operational interlocutor to coordinate access to the affected areas.
According to reports from January 2026, the U.S. held secret discussions with Cabello months before Maduro's capture, urging him not to mobilize collectives or security forces against the opposition.
Cabello was not arrested during the operation and maintained his position under the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez.
The reward of 25 million dollars remains formally in effect, the charges in New York have not been dropped, and the Treasury Department maintains its sanctions.
The open question is how long Washington can maintain that official stance while its officials and generals are seen in photographs alongside the man for whose capture they are offering that amount.
Filed under: