Venezuela

'US strike on Tren de Aragua leader shows Trump's approach to war on drugs'

The US military attack in Venezuela Friday that killed the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang reflects a strategic shift by US President Donald Trump toward direct US involvement in the war on drugs that began earlier this year, with a special focus this time on gaining access to Venezuela's lucrative mining sector, analysts told The Associated Press. Trump announced Friday the death of gang leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero in an airstrike on his compound in rural Venezuela. He has long accused Guerrero's organisation, also known as TDA, of terrorising communities across the United States, where it has been linked to extortion rackets, drug trafficking and illegal immigration. The group was listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department last year, with federal prosecutors accusing Guerrero of shipping drugs to the U.S. and organizing acts of terror across borders, including the murder of a Venezuelan dissident in Chile. Venezuela's government said in a statement

US military strike killed leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang: Trump

President Donald Trump said Friday that a "swift and lethal kinetic" US strike has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom he called "the infamous leader" of the Tren de Aragua gang. Tren de Aragua has been labelled by the United States as a terrorist organisation. Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including lending support to terrorists in crimes that stretched more than a decade, authorities announced in December.

Datanomics: The collapse and return of Venezuela oil trade with India

Venezuela's return as a top crude supplier highlights how oil alone has shaped India-Venezuela trade, from a $14-billion peak to near-collapse and revival

Technical team to visit Venezuela to explore energy opportunities: Puri

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri met Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez in New Delhi on Thursday.In a post on X, Puri said that a technical team from India would soon visit Venezuela to study opportunities in the energy sector."Called on the Acting President of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela HE @delcyrodriguezv today with the leadership of @PetroleumMin and CMDs of India's energy sector PSUs. India has a long-standing energy partnership with Venezuela since 2008 and shares unique complimentarities with the country. Venezuela possesses biggest proven reserves of oil in the world, while India not only possesses huge demand for energy but also has the technological expertise and manpower to refine Venezuelan crude in our refineries. Venezuela is already among the largest crude oil suppliers to India in April & May 2026, which is a reflection of the future potential. Our technical team will visit Venezuela soon to further explore this ...

India-Venezuela oil marketing companies to explore energy agreements

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez discussed energy cooperation, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and trade expansion

PM Modi meets Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez, reviews ties

MEA had indicated that both sides are expected to review the entire spectrum of India-Venezuela relations and explore avenues to deepen cooperation in key sectors

Jaishankar meets Venezuela's acting president Rodriguez, backs deeper ties

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday arrived in the national capital for a five-day working visit aimed at further deepening the bilateral ties between India and Venezuela

Energy ties in focus as Venezuela's acting President begins India visit

Delcy Rodriguez will visit energy installations, meet industry leaders and discuss bilateral cooperation as India increases Venezuelan oil imports amid West Asia disruptions

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez to visit India from June 3-7

Delcy Rodriguez, the acting President of Venezuela, will undertake a five-day visit to India beginning Wednesday to shore up bilateral ties in areas of energy, trade and technology. Rodriguez is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, announcing her June 3 to 7 trip. Rodriguez took charge as Venezuela's acting President following the detention of then President Nicolas Maduro by US forces in January. She will be accompanied by several ministers, including the ministers of foreign affairs, economy and finance, science and technology, communication and information, and transportation, Jaiswal said.

Venezuela's Delcy Rodriguez likely to visit India amid oil supply shifts

Acting President's visit comes as India increases Venezuelan crude purchases to offset supply disruptions caused by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz

Trump admin tells prosecutors to stand down on Venezuela's Delcy Rodriguez

The Trump administration has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations into Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez, a longtime target of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, according to current and former US law enforcement officials, in the latest sign of warming relations between the White House and the oil-rich nation. It is unclear whether prosecutors had implicated Rodriguez in any crimes or whether investigators were moving toward an indictment. A Justice Department spokesperson said in an email "there was never an investigation into her to shut down". But DEA records obtained by The Associated Press earlier this year show she consistently surfaced on the radar of federal law enforcement dating to at least 2018, though she has never been criminally charged in the US like several other senior Venezuelan officials. The directive to pause scrutiny into Rodriguez was meant to avoid upsetting the administration's efforts to

US military holds rapid-response drill at reopened Venezuelan embassy

The US military conducted a rapid response exercise involving Marines and military aircraft in Venezuela's capital Saturday, over four months after the ouster of then-President Nicolas Maduro. Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, which have characteristics of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane, flew over the recently reopened US Embassy in Caracas. They landed in the parking lot with the downdraft blowing tree branches. Forces then descended from the aircraft. "Ensuring the military's rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world," the embassy said on Instagram. Venezuela's government had announced the drill earlier this week. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said the US would conduct the exercise to prepare "in the event of medical emergencies or catastrophic emergencies." The drill comes almost two months after the US formally reopened its embassy in Caracas. The reopening followed the restoration of full diplomatic

Rubio says Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez to visit India

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez will visit India amid rising Indian purchases of Venezuelan crude oil

Venezuela, Brazil among India's top 5 crude oil suppliers in April

Supply disruptions in West Asia and Strait of Hormuz closure prompt India to recalibrate sourcing, with Venezuela and Brazil replacing Iraq and the US in April

US interventions in Iran, Venezuela driven by oil: Russian foreign minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused US of oil-driven interventions, slammed 'dominance' doctrine

US soldier charged for using classified intel to bet on Maduro capture

A US special forces soldier involved in the military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than USD 400,000 in an online betting market, federal officials announced Thursday. Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to make money on the prediction market site Polymarket, the federal prosecutor's office in New York said. He has been charged by the Justice Department with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. He could face years in prison. Van Dyke, 38, was involved in the planning and execution of capturing Maduro for about a month beginning Dec. 8, 2025, according to the federal prosecutor's office. Yet despite the fact that he signed nondisclosure agreemen

Venezuelan lawmakers approve mining reform to lure foreign investors

Venezuelan lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill to regulate the country's mining as it seeks to attract leery foreign investors to a once-private industry that has long been exploited by criminal groups with ties to the government. It is the latest legislative initiative by acting President Delcy Rodriguez since the self-proclaimed socialist government that has ruled Venezuela for 26 years came under pressure from the Trump administration in January, when the U.S. military deposed then-President Nicolas Maduro. The lengthy bill will now undergo a review by the country's high court to determine if it is constitutional. The bill regulates mineral rights, establishes small, medium and large-scale mining categories, and allows for independent arbitration of disputes, which foreign investors view as key to guard against the government seizing their assets. It also bans the president, vice president, ministers, governors and others from holding mining titles. The bill is a "vehicle for

West Asia war: Indian refiners turn to Venezuela, Russia for oil supply

India has also ramped up oil purchases from alternate sources such as Nigeria and Angola

India returns to buying Venezuelan oil to ease supply crunch amid Iran war

India is set to import the most oil from Venezuela in almost six years as over 12 million barrels head to its west coast, reflecting a strategic shift amid West Asia supply disruptions

Venezuela's Rodríguez still in power beyond her initial 90-day appointment

Delcy Rodriguez remained Venezuela's acting president on Monday, exceeding the 90-day limit on her temporary role set by the country's high court following the US capture of Nicolas Maduro in January. However, it's unclear how much longer she will keep the post as lawmakers have not taken a public vote to extend her term past last Friday's deadline. According to the court order, Maduro is still officially Venezuela's president and his "forced" absence resulting from a "kidnapping" makes it temporarily impossible for him to fulfill his duties. Under Venezuela's constitution, according to an article referenced by the court, temporary absences are to be filled by the vice president - which was Rodriguez's former role - for up to 90 days. These interim appointments can be extended by the national assembly for an additional 90 days. The National Assembly, controlled by Rodriguez's party, can trigger a snap election if lawmakers declare the post permanently vacant. The government's pres