Overview
- The Associated Press reported Thursday that the White House told federal prosecutors in Miami to pause criminal scrutiny of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials.
- The Justice Department pushed back publicly, saying in an email that “there was never an investigation into her to shut down.”
- Drug Enforcement Administration files obtained by the AP show Rodríguez has appeared in DEA intelligence dating to at least 2018, including a 2021 confidential‑informant allegation that hotels on Isla Margarita were used to launder money.
- In recent months the administration lifted sanctions on Rodríguez, recognized her as Venezuela’s head of state, and allowed U.S. oil delegations and bankers to reengage with Caracas.
- The reported pause could politicize criminal enforcement, invite congressional scrutiny, and affect how banks and crypto platforms handle Venezuelan transactions while the U.S. continues to prosecute Nicolás Maduro in New York.