U.S. Preparing Possible Corruption Charges Against Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a potential criminal case against Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez as part of broader efforts to increase U.S. leverage over Venezuela’s government, according to several people familiar with the situation. Federal prosecutors are said to be drafting a possible indictment that could include corruption and money-laundering charges tied to Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA.

Sources briefed on the matter said prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami have been working on the draft charges for roughly two months. The investigation focuses on Rodriguez’s alleged involvement in laundering funds connected to PDVSA between 2021 and 2025. While Reuters has not seen the written indictment, four sources confirmed that Rodriguez has been informed verbally that she could face prosecution if she fails to cooperate with U.S. demands following the removal of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the report. However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche rejected the claims on social media, calling the report “completely false.” Reuters responded by standing by its reporting and maintaining that the Justice Department is preparing an indictment against Rodriguez.

This development comes shortly after a dramatic operation in January in which U.S. special forces captured Maduro and transported him to New York, where he faces charges of narcoterrorism and cocaine trafficking. Maduro has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody awaiting trial. His wife, Cilia Flores, also faces drug-trafficking charges and has entered a not-guilty plea.

Behind the scenes, U.S. officials have reportedly presented Rodriguez with a list of at least seven former Venezuelan political figures and associates whom Washington wants detained for potential extradition. Many of these individuals already face indictments in the United States related to corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Among the most notable names is businessman Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who previously faced U.S. charges tied to a $350 million corruption scheme involving Venezuelan housing projects. Saab was extradited to the United States in 2021 but released in a prisoner swap in 2023. According to sources, he was arrested again in Venezuela in early February and is currently held by the Venezuelan intelligence service SEBIN.

Another figure reportedly detained is media businessman Raul Gorrin, who has long faced U.S. federal charges related to bribery and money laundering connected to PDVSA. The United States hopes that individuals like Saab could provide information that strengthens existing criminal cases against Maduro and members of his inner circle.

Publicly, President Donald Trump has praised Rodriguez for cooperating with Washington and recently described Venezuela as “a new friend and partner.” However, the potential indictment is widely seen as a strategic bargaining tool as the United States seeks to influence Venezuela’s political transition and secure access to the country’s vast oil reserves.