US threatens  Venezuela’s security chief next target if uncooperative –

Trump has claimed that Venezuela will send 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the US, with Washington controlling the proceeds, days after it abducted the country’s President Nicolas Maduro.

“I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday.

“This Oil will be sold at its market price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States,” he added.

Trump has threatened Venezuela’s acting leadership, saying officials who do not “do what is right” and allow US access to the country’s oil will face consequences worse than those that befell Maduro.

PressTV report

US warns Venezuela’s security chief next target if uncooperative – PressTV

report.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has reportedly warned Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello that he could become a primary target of US action unless he cooperates with Washington’s plans and backs Interim President Delcy Rodríguez in maintaining order.

Cabello has been informed through intermediaries that defiance could lead to arrest or removal — a fate US officials have pointedly linked to the recent kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro — three sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

Despite being viewed as a potential obstacle, US officials currently see Cabello as one of the few senior figures capable of preventing unrest during what Washington describes as a fragile transition.

They fear that his abrupt sidelining could trigger violent reactions from armed groups loyal to the government, risking wider instability.

The latest warning comes as the United States is exerting pressure on senior figures from Venezuela’s former government as it seeks to control the country’s political transition following the kidnapping of Maduro.Another figure under close US scrutiny is Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, who faces US drug-trafficking charges and multimillion-dollar bounties.

American officials believe Padrino’s cooperation is critical given his control over the armed forces and view him as more pragmatic and open to a negotiated exit.

“This remains a law enforcement operation, and we are not done yet,” a US Justice Department official said.

US planning is guided by a classified CIA assessment that concludes Maduro’s senior aides are better positioned to maintain stability than Venezuela’s political opposition.

Washington has determined that the opposition, led by María Corina Machado, lacks the institutional control needed to govern during a volatile transition.

US officials fear that an immediate democratic handover could spark chaos, internal power struggles, or even a coup by sidelined insiders. For now, they are prioritizing stability over political reform, with elections framed as a longer-term objective, according to the report.

Rodríguez is viewed in Washington as central to the transitional arrangement. US officials describe her as a technocrat willing to work with the United States, particularly on energy and economic matters, added the report.

Among Washington’s demands are opening Venezuela’s oil industry on terms favorable to US companies, cracking down on alleged drug trafficking, expelling Cuban security forces, and ending security cooperation with Iran. Officials expect visible progress within weeks.The pressure campaign also includes financial leverage. US authorities are reportedly identifying Rodríguez’s overseas assets, including holdings in Qatar, signaling the possibility of seizure if cooperation falters.

US officials and intermediaries are simultaneously seeking to co-opt mid-level officials to assemble a government aligned with American objectives, aiming to avoid deploying US troops on the ground.

Maduro and his wife were kidnapped from their residence in Caracas on Saturday, flown out of Venezuela by helicopter, and transported aboard a warship some 3,400 kilometers to New York City to face federal charges.

The assault followed months of pressure and military buildup off Venezuela’s coast, including dozens of attacks on alleged drug vessels that left at least 115 people dead.

Caracas has consistently rejected any involvement in drug trafficking, saying Washington used narcotics allegations to justify an illegal assault aimed at overthrowing the government and seizing control of the country’s vast oil reserves.

Hours after the attack, US President Donald Trump said the United States would run Venezuela temporarily and be “very strongly involved” in its oil industry — remarks that reinforced Venezuelan claims about Washington’s true objectives.