PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 28th, 2026: U.S. Intelligence Raises Red Flags About Delcy Rodriguez & Europe Targets Putin’s Oil Fleet
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It's Wednesday, the 28th of January. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And yes, I'm still on the road and also it does appear that I'm losing my voice. All right, let's get briefed. First up, behind the scenes, U.S. intelligence is questioning whether Venezuela's interim leader is really on board with Washington's plan as Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns the option of force remains on the table. Later in the show, Europe moves to clamp down on Russia's so-called ghost tanker fleet as multiple countries vow to obstruct ships suspected of evading oil sanctions. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. In Washington, there's a growing sense that the post-Maduro transition in Venezuela may not be unfolding quite as smoothly as it looks on the surface.
Publicly, the Trump administration says it's seeing cooperation from interim president, Delcy Rodriguez. Privately, though, U.S. intelligence appears far less convinced. According to new exclusive reporting from Reuters, recent U.S. intelligence assessments are raising doubts about whether Rodriguez is actually prepared to follow through on Washington's central demand, formerly severing Venezuela's ties with U.S. adversaries Iran, China, and Russia. U.S. officials have been clear about what they want. They expect Rodriguez to expel foreign diplomats and advisors tied to those governments' intelligence apparatus and to decisively realign Venezuela away from what Washington views as hostile influence in the Western Hemisphere.
But so far, well, that break hasn't happened. Rodriguez's swearing-in ceremony earlier this month was attended by representatives from Iran, China, and Russia. Since taking office, she has yet to publicly announce any move to cut those relationships. Intelligence officials now say it's unclear whether she's fully on board with the U.S. strategy or simply managing Washington while preserving old alliances. Now, this skepticism about Venezuela's interim president isn't entirely new. Sources told Reuters that concerns about Rodriguez's reliability were already present before the U.S. operation that removed Maduro.
What doubts does U.S. intelligence have about Delcy Rodriguez's alignment with Washington?
And while she's taken steps designed to stay in Washington's good graces, releasing political prisoners and authorizing the sale of tens of millions of barrels of oil to the U.S., Those moves may just be tactical. It's also worth noting that we reported a few weeks ago on CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Caracas, where he met directly with Rodriguez to discuss Venezuela's political future. Reuters says it's unclear whether that meeting changed the intelligence community's assessment. For now, doubts remain. Those doubts carry real consequences for Washington's broader plan, which depends on Rodriguez delivering stability without pulling the US into a deeper military role. If she were to fully break with US rivals, it could unlock significant American investment in Venezuela's energy sector.
If she doesn't, well, it risks undercutting the administration's ability to steer events from a distance. At the same time, U.S. officials privately acknowledge they don't see an immediate alternative. Rodriguez is deeply tied to Venezuela's oil sector, and the intelligence community has previously assessed that figures loyal to the old Maduro system were best positioned to keep the country functioning in the short term. That leaves Washington in a bind, backing a leader that it doesn't entirely trust. Meanwhile, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is viewed as a longer-term option. Intelligence reporting suggests she lacks the deep connections to the security services and oil industry needed to govern right now, even though she remains popular with Venezuelans and well-regarded inside the White House.
All of this unfolded against the backdrop of yesterday's story, when Rodriguez publicly rebuked Washington, saying she had, quote, had enough of U.S. intervention. That statement added to the sense that her cooperation may be conditional and fragile.
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