Following a military operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, the United States has also placed the country’s interior minister and defense minister on its so-called “hit list.”
According to international news agency Reuters, the US administration has warned that Venezuela’s hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino could be next targets after Maduro.
Reuters reported that Washington has warned Cabello to cooperate with Acting President Delcy Rodríguez in order to help fulfill US objectives and manage the situation following Maduro’s arrest. If Cabello fails to do so, US officials have reportedly pressured him by warning that he could be placed on America’s “target list,” the report said.
A source said US President Donald Trump views Cabello as one of several Maduro loyalists whom Washington has temporarily trusted to help maintain transitional stability. However, US officials are concerned that Cabello’s long-standing power rivalry with Rodríguez could derail the process.
According to Reuters, US officials conveyed warnings to Cabello through intermediaries, stating that failure to cooperate could result in a fate similar to Maduro’s—or even pose a direct threat to his life. Maduro was arrested Saturday during a US operation and transported to New York to face charges of “narco-terrorism.”
US officials have also assessed that removing Cabello could prompt pro-government motorcycle groups known as “colectivos” to take to the streets, increasing the risk of unrest and instability. Two sources said Defense Minister Padrino is also included on the list of potential targets.
Like Cabello, Padrino faces US drug-trafficking charges, and a substantial reward has been announced for information leading to his arrest. “Our law-enforcement operation has not ended,” a US Justice Department official told Reuters. Washington believes Padrino’s cooperation would be decisive in preventing a power vacuum due to his control over the armed forces.
While a senior Trump administration official did not directly respond to Reuters’ questions, a statement said the United States continues to apply maximum pressure on remaining Venezuelan actors to curb illegal migration, stop drug trafficking, revive oil infrastructure, and ensure actions that benefit the Venezuelan people.
Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication has not issued any response. According to sources, the administration has concluded that opposition forces led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado would be unable to immediately maintain stability.
Sources said Trump views stability as essential to granting US oil companies access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves while avoiding the deployment of US troops on the ground. In this context, sources said Trump has responded positively to a secret CIA assessment suggesting that Maduro’s top allies may be the most suitable figures to govern the country on an interim basis.
