US moves fast to reopen Venezuela embassy after yearslong freeze
The U.S. will “very quickly” reopen its embassy in Venezuela and establish a diplomatic presence on the ground, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground,” Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday.
The goal, he said, would be not just to interact with officials on the ground but also “civil society and the opposition.”
Such a move would mean restoring diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were broken off in 2019 when the U.S. embassy’s doors shuttered.
VENEZUELA’S DELCY RODRÍGUEZ SNAPS AT WASHINGTON, DECLARES ‘ENOUGH’ OF US INFLUENCE
The Trump administration has been in dialogue with Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s former vice president whom U.S. officials describe as an interim leader, since the capture of the wanted Venezuelan dictator.
Reopening the embassy would require the U.S. to acknowledge a governing authority in Caracas, Venezuela, capable of receiving diplomats — a step that would mark a clear shift from Washington’s long-standing refusal to engage Venezuela’s executive.
The current Venezuelan leadership has “been very cooperative on that front,” Rubio said. “Obviously there’s been some hard asks along the way.”
Rubio said the administration is not seeking further military action in Venezuela but stressed that force has not been taken off the table.
“The president never rules out his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told lawmakers, while emphasizing that the U.S. is “not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time.”
Rubio also offered details about the first $500 million of the U.S.-brokered sale of Venezuelan oil, saying $300 million went back to Venezuela to pay for public services, while $200 million remains in a U.S.-run account.
CIA DIRECTOR WAS IN VENEZUELA TO MEET WITH ACTING PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ, OFFICIAL SAYS
He declined to share details on how long Rodríguez would remain in power, but said a diplomatic presence would help keep a check on the new government.
“I can’t give you a timeline of how long it takes. It can’t take forever,” Rubio said. “But it’s not even been four weeks.”
His comments come amid mixed signals from Venezuela’s interim leadership. In recent days, Rodríguez has struck a defiant tone toward Washington, declaring she had “enough” of U.S. influence in Venezuelan politics during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television.
The remarks appeared aimed largely at a domestic audience, even as Venezuela remains constrained by U.S. sanctions and dependent on American decisions over oil licenses and revenue controls.
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Rubio said the administration’s goal is to push Venezuela toward a democratic transition, describing the Maduro regime as “a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.”
He said the U.S. is aiming for a “friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela and democratic… with free and fair elections,” while acknowledging the process will take time.
Pressed on corruption concerns, Rubio said an audit mechanism is being established.
“The audit will be on,” he told senators, stressing that spending would be restricted to approved public needs.
Capitol police arrest Rubio hearing disruptor; Republican senator says ‘off to jail’
The U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital one person was arrested for disrupting Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill.
The individual was escorted from the hearing room at the Dirksen Senate Office Building as Rubio was about to deliver his opening statement about U.S. policy towards Venezuela.
“All right, here we go … you know the drill, off to jail,” Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said after a man in the audience got up and started yelling about a “war crime” while holding a sign that said “Hands Off Venezuela.”
“That’s a one-year ban from the committee. Anyone who is a persistent violator will be banned for three years. So, I don’t know whether the guy falls in that category, looks like it,” added Risch, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I hope after three years he’ll find a more productive means of employment.”
TRUMP HAILS RUBIO AS DIPLOMATIC MENTOR AS SECRETARY OF STATE’S POWER GROWS
“Secretary Rubio, we have two hearings a week. You know, you seem to have a more robust following than most of our witnesses that come before us,” Risch added.
“There’ll be a couple more. Thank you for stopping the clock, but I appreciate it,” Rubio responded.
The U.S. Capitol Police said the individual was arrested for demonstrating in a committee.
VENEZUELA’S DELCY RODRIGUEZ SNAPS AT WASHINGTON, DECLARES ‘ENOUGH’ OF US INFLUENCE
“It is against the law to protest inside the congressional buildings,” the U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital.
Prior to the outburst, Risch thanked the audience for their attendance but also warned, “This is a public hearing. It is also the official business of the United States of America. And as a result of that, the committee has a zero-tolerance policy for interruptions or for attempts by anyone in the room to communicate with somebody up here or the witness.
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“So, as a result of that, if you do disrupt, you will be arrested. You’ll be banned for a year,” he continued. “However, I’m told that we have some guests today who have completed their ban and are back with us again today. We hope you’ve had the time to think about your indiscretions and will behave yourself today. If you don’t, as a persistent violator, you’ll be banned for three years this time.”
Rubio warns NATO allies US is ‘not simply focused on Europe,’ doesn’t have unlimited resources
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he relayed to NATO allies that the U.S. “may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources.”
Rubio made the remark at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Venezuela, during which he spoke about the American military operation to capture former dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
“One of the things we’ve explained to our allies in NATO is the United States is not simply focused on Europe. We also have defense needs in the Western Hemisphere. We have defense needs in the Indo-Pacific, and it will require us – we may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources,” Rubio said.
When pressed by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., on whether the U.S. still benefits from NATO, Rubio said, “We do. I mean, the problem, but NATO needs to be reimagined as well in terms of the obligations.”
NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND
“And this is not new to this president. Multiple presidents have complained about it. I think this president just complains about it louder than other presidents,” the secretary added.
TRUMP’S NATO WARNING PUSHES EUROPE TO FACE THE COST OF DEFENDING ITSELF
Rubio added that prior to Maduro’s capture on Jan. 3, “We had in our hemisphere a regime operated by an indicted narco-trafficker that became a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.”
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Rubio also said Wednesday, “We are certainly better off today in Venezuela than we were four weeks ago.”
“I’m not here to claim to you this is going to be easy or simple,” Rubio told lawmakers. “I am saying that in three and a half, almost four weeks, we are much further along on this project than we thought we would be, given the complexities of it going into it, and I recognize that it won’t be easy. I mean, look, at the end of the day we are dealing with people over there that have spent most of their lives living in a gangster paradise.”
Rubio says US has no plan to use force in Venezuela — but warns ‘imminent threat’ could change that
The U.S. is not preparing to utilize additional military force in Venezuela, but won’t hesitate to employ such force in the event of an “imminent threat,” according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“The president never rules out his options as commander-in-chief to protect the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday. “I can tell you right now, with full certainty, we are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.”
That said, Rubio said that certain events could warrant military actions — pointing to a hypothetical scenario where an Iranian drone factory emerged in the region and threatened U.S. presence or allies there.
“The president does reserve the option in self-defense to eliminate that threat,” Rubio said. “We don’t see that, we don’t anticipate that, but it could happen. We hope not … But I think it would require the emergence of an imminent threat of the kind that we do not anticipate at this time.”
POST TRUMP MEETING, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS COUNTRY WILL HOLD ‘FREE AND FAIR’ ELECTIONS ‘EVENTUALLY’
Rubio’s remarks came in response to questions about his prepared statement, which said that the U.S. is prepared to exert military force to ensure cooperation from Venezuela’s interim government if it defies Washington following the ouster of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” Rubio’s prepared testimony had said, which he ultimately did not end up using. “It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this hemisphere.”
Rubio’s prepared testimony also maintained that there are no U.S. troops in Venezuela and that the operation did not amount to waging a war in Caracas.
“There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” Rubio said in his prepared remarks. “There are no U.S. troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement.”
The move to ouster Maduro has attracted scrutiny, mostly from Democrats, who have called into question the legality of the operation in Venezuela, which was conducted without Congress’ approval.
But efforts in Congress to pass a war powers resolution that would have limited the Trump administration from conducting additional military action in Venezuela failed to pass earlier in January. Rubio previously has claimed Congressional approval wasn’t required because the operation was not an “invasion.”
On Wednesday, Rubio said that should U.S. military forces be involved in Venezuela in a “sustained” way, Congress would receive notification 48-hours after the fact and would be required to receive Congressional approval if the engagement lasted longer than 60 days.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., also pressed Rubio on why senior administration officials had previously told the committee that military action to remove Maduro was not on the table.
“If there was time to practice, there was time to consult,” Coons said. “And consulting Congress is not just some high-minded principle, not some abstract thing, not a nice to have. It’s a got to have.”
Rubio said that Congress wasn’t consulted about the potential raid due to concerns from the Department of War about leaks and because it wasn’t even a possibility to execute such a mission until late December 2025 after all negotiation efforts with Maduro had failed.
“It was also a trigger-based operation. It may never have happened,” Rubio said. “It required a number of factors to all align at the right place, at the right time, in a very limited window, and it wasn’t even clear if it was ever going to be possible.”
SEN TIM KAINE: TRUMP’S VENEZUELA STRIKE TRAMPLED CONGRESS’ WAR POWERS. CONGRESS MUST STOP IT
On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. special forces had executed a “large-scale strike” against Caracas, Venezuela, and seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The two were transported to New York and appeared in a Manhattan federal court Jan. 5 on drug charges, when they each pleaded not guilty.
The raid followed months of pressure on Venezuela to squeeze out Maduro amid more than two dozen strikes in Latin American waters against alleged drug traffickers — which the Trump administration claimed aligned with Trump’s effort to curb the influx of drugs into the U.S.
Since Maduro’s capture, the U.S. has conducted at least one additional strike against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the region.
The Trump administration had previously asserted that it did not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state and instead, claimed he was the leader of a drug cartel. Additionally, Trump said in December 2025, shortly before the operation, that he believed it would be “smart” for Maduro to step down.
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The Trump administration has so far backed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to lead Venezuela’s interim government.
Rubio scheduled to appear before Senate to outline Trump’s Venezuela policy
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will publicly testify on the Trump administration’s policy in Venezuela Wednesday morning after vowing to lawmakers that no more military action was expected in the region.
Rubio is expected to tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “there is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by Fox News.
“There are no U.S. troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement,” Rubio will say, referring to how U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, earlier this month.
“The United States is prepared to help oversee Venezuela’s transition from a criminal state to a responsible partner,” Rubio’s prepared remarks state.
He will describe Maduro and Flores as “two indicted fugitives from American justice.”
SECRETARY RUBIO SCHEDULED TO FACE FORMER COLLEAGUES ON VENEZUELA POLICY
“Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and the professionalism of the United States Armed Forces, a man who built his power on drugs, corruption and repression will now face justice,” Rubio will tell the committee.
The secretary is expected to tell the committee that the U.S. remains ready to use additional force, if necessary. According to his prepared remarks, Rubio assesses that Maduro’s successor, interim President Delcy Rodríguez, has stated her intention to cooperate with the U.S. and has “committed to opening Venezuela’s energy sector to American companies, providing preferential access to production, and using revenues to purchase American goods.”
Rubio will also say Rodríguez “has pledged to end Venezuela’s oil lifeline to the Cuban regime and to pursue national reconciliation with Venezuelans at home and abroad.”
“Rodríguez is well aware of the fate of Maduro; it is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives,” Rubio’s prepared remarks state.
“We will closely monitor the performance of the interim authorities as they cooperate with our stage-based plan to restore stability to Venezuela,” the secretary will add. “Make no mistake, as the President has stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail. It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this Hemisphere.”
“The President has made clear that the Western Hemisphere is our home, and we will not tolerate criminality within this Hemisphere that harms American citizens or permit territory to become platforms for our adversaries,” Rubio is expected to tell the committee. “Last month the President acted to uphold that principle in Venezuela, and we will continue to do so as is required to keep the American people safe and secure.”
Rubio’s return to the Hill, an increasingly frequent occurrence in recent months, comes after he, President Donald Trump, administration officials and Senate Republican leadership successfully killed a bipartisan push to rein in the president’s war authorities in Venezuela.
His scheduled appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday at 10 a.m. comes just weeks after he helped to convince two lawmakers, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to flip their votes and back the administration.
Both were concerned about boots on the ground in Venezuela and Congress’ constitutional authority to weigh in on the matter.
They were convinced by Rubio and the administration that no further military action would take place, and that if it were, Trump would come to Congress first.
Young said at the time that the effort, spurred by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was ultimately just a messaging exercise that never would have survived in the House, nor evaded a veto from Trump.
“I had to accept that this was all a communications exercise,” Young said. “I think we [used] this moment to shine a bright light on Congress’ shortcomings as it relates to war powers in recent history.”
RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’
Rubio also wrote to Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, to spell out that the administration would clue in Congress should any future military action take place in the region.
“Should there be any new military operations that introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, they will be undertaken consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and we will transmit written notifications consistent with section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148),” he said.
However, Rubio’s appearance before the panel comes on the heels of unrest stateside following another fatal shooting in Minnesota, where Alex Pretti was killed in the midst of a Department of Homeland Security-led immigration operation in Minneapolis.
KAINE VOWS NEW WAR POWERS FIGHTS AFTER SENATE BLOCKS TRUMP VENEZUELA CHECK
While he won’t have to answer for that situation, it has drastically shifted the Senate’s attention over the last several days.
It also follows Kaine’s vow to file several more war powers resolutions against Trump, specifically against action in Greenland, Iran and elsewhere.
Kaine believed that he could take advantage of cracks that formed in Republicans’ unified front earlier this month, when five joined all Senate Democrats to advance his resolution to require any future military action in Venezuela would need Congress’ approval.
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“The way cracks grow is through pressure and the pressure campaign that I sort of decided to launch by use of these privileged motions,” Kaine said after his initial push failed.
“I’m going to file every one I can to challenge emergencies, to challenge unlawful wars, to seek human rights reports, arms transfers if they’re wrong,” he continued.
Post-Maduro, pressure builds on Mexico over Cuba’s new oil lifeline
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s regime was crucial to propping up America’s closest Communist neighbor, Cuba, for many years — but with the despot now in a New York prison, U.S. lawmakers and analysts are turning their attention to Mexico, a top U.S. ally and trading partner that has quietly taken Venezuela’s place.
As of January, Mexico reportedly accounted for 13,000 barrels per day, or 44%, of Cuba’s 2025 oil imports, the top factor keeping what some lawmakers describe as a teetering economy barely afloat. With renewed trade talks approaching in July, Republican lawmakers and conservative analysts are calling for increased pressure on Mexico to cut off Cuba’s oil lifeline.
The Trump administration is also weighing instituting a maritime blockade on oil imports to Cuba, according to Politico. The outlet noted that the move would be an escalation of its previously-stated plan to cut off imports from Venezuela, where Maduro’s former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is now acting president. Such a blockade could spur crisis in the country and lead to the economic collapse of the Castro/Diaz-Canel regime for which much of the U.S. diaspora has long hoped.
“The Cuban government was, even before this action with Maduro, probably at the weakest point that the regime has been in the last 65 years,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., the only Cuban-born member of Congress.
AS TRUMP URGES DEAL, CUBAN PRESIDENT WARNS THAT THE COUNTRY WILL DEFEND ITSELF ‘TO THE LAST DROP OF BLOOD’
“This just makes them weaker. My one concern is that it appears that Mexico is now trying to prop them up. And so, the oil that they were receiving from Venezuela is now being supplanted by oil being received by Mexico.”
The Florida Republican said Mexico is in such a position in part because it is “governed by a Marxist,” casting criticism of socialist-party-aligned President Claudia Sheinbaum.
“The oil that they were receiving from Venezuela is now being supplanted by oil being received by Mexico,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter that [the Miguel Diaz-Canel] regime [in Cuba] has been suppressing and oppressing its people for 65 years, as long as they have the right ideology.”
MARCO RUBIO EMERGES AS KEY TRUMP POWER PLAYER AFTER VENEZUELA OPERATION
Gimenez said that Congress could use upcoming intracontinental trade talks over the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to pressure Sheinbaum to stop supporting the dictatorship just 90 miles from Fort Zachary Taylor, at the southern tip of his district.
Cuba is already experiencing rolling blackouts, inability to feed its people, medical shortages and a nosedive in tourism due to those developments, he said.
“Would it be okay for us to kind of nudge them over the edge? I don’t know a problem with that,” he quipped.
SENATE REPUBLICAN PREDICTS THE FALL OF THE CUBAN REGIME
Andres Martinez-Fernandez, a Latin America and national security policy analyst who leads the Heritage Foundation’s research on the region, told Fox News Digital that U.S. tolerance for Mexico’s new position may not last.
“It’s a major issue,” he said, adding the Mexico-Cuba relationship got to “worrying levels” under Sheinbaum’s predecessor and now involves a Cuban medical program he called “forced slavery for revenue” involving Cuban doctors arriving in Mexico and sending remittances home – much of which can get funneled to the regime.
If Mexico City wants to continue aiding Havana, it had better prepare for “severe pushback,” he said, similarly citing the USMCA negotiations that Gimenez mentioned.
CUBA’S PRESIDENT DEFIANT, SAYS NO NEGOTIATIONS SCHEDULED AS TRUMP MOVES TO CHOKE OFF OIL LIFELINE
Those aspects, along with President Donald Trump’s discontent with Sheinbaum’s resistance to U.S. action against cartels could come to a head, he suggested, calling Mexico’s attitude “mendacious and duplicitous.”
“It says nothing good if they decide, to maintain this overt support for the Cuban regime as we continue to see this inadequate action on the cartel front.”
Trump declared earlier this month that there will be “no more oil or money going to Cuba – Zero” and the Department of War has been seizing sanctioned “shadow-fleet” oil tankers.
A White House official said Cuba is failing of its own volition and that its rulers suffered a major setback in losing support from the ousted Maduro regime. Trump believes Cuba should make a deal “before it is too late.”
A State Department spokesperson echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital that “President Trump has made clear that the incompetent Marxists in Cuba have destroyed their island, and should make a deal before it’s too late.”
Meanwhile, the aforementioned USMCA talks are scheduled to take place in July, when the trilateral trade deal undergoes a scheduled review.
The U.S. is likely to seek additional concessions from Mexico and Canada amid trade disputes, the Center for Strategic and International Studies predicted last year, with the interceding Mexico-Cuba development likely to further invigorate such demands.
VENEZUELA’S ACTING LEADER WAS ONCE A DEA ‘PRIORITY TARGET’: REPORT
The Sheinbaum administration, which did not respond to a request for comment, has reportedly painted its shipments as “humanitarian aid” for the Cuban people.
If Mexico continues oil shipments, it may lead to additionally tense relations between the U.S. and its southern neighbor, already frayed by Trump’s disdain for Sheinbaum’s steadfast refusal to allow American intercession against drug cartels.
If the shipments slacken, that may portend well for the aforementioned upcoming trade negotiations.
As for Cuba, many pro-democracy voices, particularly among the South Florida diaspora, hope the 66-year Castro/Diaz-Canel regime is not long for this world.
Martinez-Fernandez added the regime is likely facing one of the most difficult moments in its history; Mexico’s role aside.
RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’
In the 1990s, Cuba lost its larger “patron,” the Soviet Union, he said, and hit a rough patch until Hugo Chavez took power in 1999.
He added that while there has been Western concern about a Chinese foothold there, Beijing appears to have largely “cut ties” and said “there’s nothing new here.”
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“I do think that there is a likely need for additional developments before we see… That kind of next step collapse of the regime itself,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Commerce Department and the Palacio Nacional for comment.
Feds charge 87 individuals in massive ATM ‘jackpotting’ operation linked to Tren de Aragua gang
At least 87 individuals connected to the Venezuelan terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) have been indicted for a massive scheme in which members allegedly stole millions of dollars from ATMs nationwide, a crime commonly known as “ATM jackpotting.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska announced Monday 31 new defendants, joining 56 others previously charged in a major Homeland Security Task Force operation.
The criminal ring, largely composed of Venezuelan and Colombian nationals and TdA members, used the stolen funds to fuel its terrorist activity, including human trafficking, sex trafficking of children, kidnapping, murder and “other unspeakably evil and violent acts,” according to U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska.
“Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNSEALS MULTI-STATE INDICTMENTS AGAINST TREN DE ARAGUA LEADERS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES
“This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country,” she added.
January’s indictment alleges 32 counts involving bank fraud, bank burglary, computer fraud and damage to computers.
ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA BOSS ADDED TO FBI’S MOST WANTED, SANCTIONED BY TREASURY: ‘NO BORDER WILL SHIELD HIM’
According to the Justice Department, members allegedly hacked into ATMs and forced machines to dispense cash by deploying a malware variant known as Ploutus, which was designed to delete evidence of its presence in an effort to conceal the crime.
US ACCUSES VENEZUELAN REGIME OF NARCO-TERRORISM OVER ALLIANCES WITH TREN DE ARAGUA, SINALOA CARTEL
Officials said members arrived at targeted banks and credit unions to scout ATMs and note any external security features. The groups would then open the hood or door of the machines and wait to determine whether an alarm or a law enforcement response had been triggered. Once clear, the groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with one preloaded with Ploutus, or connecting an external device, such as a thumb drive, to deploy the malware.
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The update follows two similar indictments last year in December and October. The total 87 individuals involved face a range of federal offenses, including material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, bank fraud, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez snaps at Washington, declares ‘enough’ of US influence
Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday she’s had “enough” of U.S. interference in the country’s politics, delivering a sharp rebuke of Washington during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television.
“Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela,” she said during an address to oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, broadcast by state-run channel Venezolana de Televisión.
“Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts,” she said. “This Republic has paid a very high price for having to confront the consequences of fascism and extremism in our country.”
Rodríguez’s defiant rhetoric raises questions about how far she is willing — or able — to push back against Washington. While the Venezuelan government has long used anti-U.S. language to rally domestic support, the comments come as Caracas remains heavily constrained by U.S. sanctions and dependent on U.S. decisions over oil licenses.
STATE DEPT CONFIRMS ‘LIMITED NUMBER’ OF PERSONNEL IN CARACAS WORKING TO RESUME VENEZUELA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
After capturing former dictator Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration made clear it had allowed Rodríguez to stay in power in an interim capacity because it believed Washington had significant influence over her decision-making.
Trump had said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela before backing Rodríguez. Trump spoke with Rodríguez recently by phone and earlier in January met with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
“We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Jan. 7.
TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO PROTECT VENEZUELA OIL REVENUE HELD IN US ACCOUNTS
Any decisions by the new government will “continue to be dictated by the United States of America,” she said.
It remains unclear whether Rodríguez has the political or economic leverage to translate her public defiance into policy, or whether the remarks are aimed primarily at a domestic audience wary of U.S. influence.
The White House could not be reached for comment in light of the Venezuelan leader’s most recent comments.
Earlier Saturday, Rodriguez made an overture to the Venezuelan opposition to reach “agreements” on the nation’s political future and said there should be “no political or partisan differences when it comes to peace in Venezuela.”
Rodríguez’s rebuke comes as the United States has moved to assert control over Venezuela’s oil resources, long a centerpiece of Caracas’ economy. In early January, the White House announced an energy arrangement under which Venezuela would provide 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States at market price.
So far, the U.S. has completed at least one sale of Venezuelan crude valued at around $500 million, and more transactions are expected as part of the broader agreement.
Venezuela’s legislature recently approved an initial vote to loosen state control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, a move that would represent the first major overhaul of the industry since former leader Hugo Chavez nationalized large swaths of the industry in 2007. The legislation, which seems aimed at appeasing the U.S. government, would make room for private companies to invest in the oil industry.
Some supporters of the U.S. move to capture Maduro have been left scratching their heads by the decision to leave Rodriguez in power for an undisclosed amount of time.
After meeting with Trump earlier in January, Machado said she believed the goal was to hold new elections after a transition period, but did not say how long that would take.
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In words that seemed a cautionary warning, Machado called Rodríguez “a communist” and “the main ally and representation of the Russian regime, the Chinese and the Iranians,” while arguing that Rodríguez “does not represent the Venezuelan people” or the armed forces.
Trump told reporters in the past week Rodriguez had “shown very strong leadership so far,” and “had done a very good job.”
Venezuelan opposition leader says democratic transition would be ‘fall of the Berlin Wall’ for Americas
Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado argued that a successful democratic transition for her country would rapidly transform the nation’s economy and reverse years of instability, reshaping the region’s political landscape.
Machado told the New York Post in an interview that such an outcome would define Trump’s foreign policy legacy, comparing it to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“The legacy to the world is going to be huge,” she explained. “You’re going to have a prosperous Venezuela and the region.… If you make a comparison in history, this would mean for the Americas as much as the fall of the Berlin Wall had for Europe. It’s equivalent.
“For the first time in history, you will have the Americas free of communism, dictatorship and narco-terrorism for the first time,” she added.
POST TRUMP MEETING, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS COUNTRY WILL HOLD ‘FREE AND FAIR’ ELECTIONS ‘EVENTUALLY’
Machado said she intends to return to Venezuela soon to help drive a democratic transition despite the risks she faces under the country’s current government.
“I need to be there. I want to go back as soon as possible,” Machado said.
Her planned return would come at a pivotal moment for Venezuela, as interim President Delcy Rodríguez leads a U.S.-backed transition following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez, a close ally of Maduro, was sworn into office on Jan. 5 after U.S. forces ousted the ex-leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their compound in Caracas during a military operation.
VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARÍA CORINA MACHADO PRESENTS NOBEL MEDAL TO TRUMP DESPITE INSTITUTE BAN
The duo were flown to New York and arraigned in federal court on multiple charges to which they pleaded not guilty.
Rodríguez has since been working with the White House and has spoken with President Donald Trump by phone.
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Machado, however, voiced deep reservations about Rodríguez’s leadership, warning that the transition risks falling short without a broader break from the Maduro-era government.
“If Delcy Rodríguez stays, nothing truly changes,” she told the Post. “There will be no rule of law, no trust, no stability. Venezuelans will not come home under a criminal.”