🇺🇸🚨🇻🇪 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃… 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐙𝐔𝐄𝐋𝐀
From the OFAC List to the Cabinet: Delcy Rodríguez’s Recycled Power
By Elizabeth Sánchez Vegas
A person-by-person examination of the officials now governing Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro—their ties to the regime and the allegations, sanctions, and documented records attached to their names.
Since January 3, 2026, Delcy Rodríguez, serving as acting president despite never having been elected to the office, has reshaped the cabinet. She removed some of Maduro’s most trusted loyalists and replaced them with members of her own circle. Yet nearly all of them are recycled figures from the same political system.
For Washington, this raises an unavoidable question: how can officials once sanctioned for repression, corruption, and the destruction of Venezuela’s democracy now be treated as the architects of its transition? A change of titles is not a democratic transition. Accountability must not be traded for political convenience.
📌 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄
🔴 Red: The individual is subject to international sanctions or has been formally charged with a crime.
🟠 Orange: The individual faces documented allegations or questions, or has established ties to the state apparatus, but has not been sanctioned or convicted.
🟢 Green: No public record of allegations, investigations, or sanctions was found. This does not establish innocence; it simply means that, as of the completion of this review, nothing was publicly documented.
Important: Being sanctioned or charged is not the same as being convicted. Almost none of these individuals have stood trial, and the regime maintains that the actions against them amount to political persecution.
📌 👑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐈𝐑𝐂𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑
🔴 Delcy Rodríguez, acting president: Served as Maduro’s vice president from 2018 to 2026. She was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, in 2018 and removed from the sanctions list in April 2026. According to The Associated Press, the Drug Enforcement Administration designated her a “priority target” in 2022, although she was never formally charged. Some reports have named her as an alleged member of the “Cartel of the Suns,” an allegation that has not been proven.
🔴 Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly: Delcy Rodríguez’s brother and the government’s chief political operator. He was sanctioned by OFAC in 2018 and remains on the sanctions list.
🔴 Diosdado Cabello, minister of Interior and Justice: Vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV. He was sanctioned by OFAC in 2018 and charged by U.S. authorities in 2020 with narco-terrorism. The United States is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading to his arrest.
🔴 Nicolás Maduro Guerra, known as “Nicolasito,” member of the National Assembly: Maduro’s son. OFAC sanctioned him in 2019, citing his role in the Constituent Assembly, propaganda and censorship efforts, benefits obtained from mining operations, and pressure on the armed forces to block humanitarian aid. He was also charged in the United States in a cocaine- and weapons-related case. After his father’s capture, he pledged allegiance to Delcy Rodríguez.
🔴 Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, for context: Captured on January 3, 2026, and imprisoned in the United States. Maduro faces four federal charges, including narco-terrorism.
📌 🪖 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘, 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄
🔴 Gustavo González López, Minister of Defense: Former head of Venezuela’s intelligence service, SEBIN. The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela identified him as part of the chain of command connected to serious human rights violations. He has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, Canada, and Switzerland. His tenure at SEBIN has been linked to the Fernando Albán case and to El Helicoide, the notorious detention center in Caracas.
🔴 Vladimir Padrino López, minister of Agriculture: Served as defense minister for more than a decade, until March 2026. He was sanctioned by OFAC in 2018.
🔴 Aníbal Coronado, vice admiral:
Sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for his alleged role in anti-democratic actions following the July 28 election. He has moved through several government posts, including the Office of the Presidency and the ministries of Ecosocialism and Transportation.
🟠 Germán Gómez Lárez, director of the Military Counterintelligence Directorate, or DGCIM: Former head of the Special Detention Division. Witness testimony, including statements connected to the case of Capt. Nieto Quintero, has accused him of involvement in torture. The United Nations documented 122 people detained by the DGCIM, 77 of whom were subjected to torture.
🟢 Henry Navas Rumbos, Presidential Honor Guard: A general trusted by Delcy Rodríguez and responsible for presidential security. No public record of allegations or investigations against him was located. Also serving within her security detail is Capt. Juan Escalona, a former aide-de-camp to Hugo Chávez, for whom no public record was found either.
📌 💰 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌
🔴 Alex Saab, former minister, now imprisoned in the United States: U.S. authorities have described him as a front man for Maduro. Released through a presidential clemency deal under President Joe Biden in 2023, he was later appointed a minister by Maduro. He was rearrested by SEBIN and the FBI in February 2026 and deported to the United States in May 2026. He faces charges in Miami, has a prior conviction in Italy, and was sanctioned by OFAC in 2019.
🟠 Calixto Ortega Sánchez, vice president for the Economy: Former president of Venezuela’s Central Bank from 2018 to 2025. The bank was under U.S. sanctions during his tenure, and he was denied a U.S. visa. He should not be confused with Calixto Ortega Ríos, his uncle and a former Supreme Court justice, who was sanctioned by OFAC in 2017.
🟠 Pedro Tellechea, oil and industry official, current status uncertain: Led the state oil company, PDVSA, when the PDVSA-Crypto scandal erupted, involving billions of dollars in missing revenue. He later became the subject of an investigation himself, and Diosdado Cabello publicly accused him of “treason.”
🟠 Héctor Obregón, president of PDVSA: Described in press reports as close to the Rodríguez siblings. Judicial sources said he was questioned as part of the PDVSA corruption investigation.
🟠 Rolando Alcalá, minister of Electric Power: The first civilian in years to hold the position. He is not sanctioned, but questions have been raised about his qualifications. Energy-sector professionals reportedly said they did not know of him, and he arrived from the presidency of Maiquetía International Airport rather than from the electricity sector.
🟢 Luis Villegas, minister of Industry and Commerce: Took over the merged ministry previously led by Alex Saab. He maintains a low public profile, and no documented case or record against him was found.
📌 📢 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐒
🔴 Jorge Márquez, minister of Housing: Sanctioned by OFAC in 2017 for his tenure as head of Conatel, Venezuela’s telecommunications regulator, when Colombian television channels were removed from the air, and CNN en Español’s signal was suspended.
🔴 Freddy Ñáñez, former minister of Communications and Ecosocialism: Sanctioned by OFAC in November 2024 as one of Maduro’s principal propagandists. He became the public face of the government’s official narrative during its most confrontational years and served as an adviser to Maduro’s July 28 campaign. On June 15, 2026, he was removed from the Ministry of Ecosocialism and replaced by Nelson Rodríguez, but he remains a sanctioned figure within the state apparatus.
🔴 Daniella Cabello, minister of Tourism: Singer and daughter of Diosdado Cabello. She was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 and said she felt “honored” by the designation. She entered the cabinet after serving as president of the state export-promotion agency.
🟠 Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela, minister of Communications: Philosopher, PSUV lawmaker, and founder of the pro-government outlet La Iguana TV. He has long operated as a propaganda figure for the ruling party and replaced Ñáñez.
🟠 Jacqueline Faría, minister of Transportation: A longtime operator within the Chávez political system. Her appointment by executive decree as head of the Capital District government was criticized for stripping authority from the elected metropolitan mayor’s office. She promised to clean up the Guaire River but never delivered, and she later faced a lawsuit over her administration.
🟠 Raúl Cazal, minister of Culture: A career figure within the government’s publishing structure, including the National Book Center, El Perro y la Rana publishing house, and the National Printing Office. His appointment represents continuity with the government’s existing cultural model, not an independent choice.
🟠 Ana María Sanjuán, minister of University Education: Professor at the Central University of Venezuela and executive secretary of a program created by Delcy Rodríguez herself. She has not been sanctioned but is closely connected to the Rodríguez political circle and the government.
🟠 Carlos Alexis Castillo, minister of Labor: Moved directly from serving as an active Supreme Court justice to becoming a cabinet minister. Civil society organizations including Acceso a la Justicia and Transparencia Venezuela have criticized the damage to judicial independence and his restrictive record on labor issues.
🟢 Nuramy Gutiérrez, minister of Health: A career physician. No public allegations, investigations, or sanctions were found against her, making the Health Ministry the only cabinet portfolio in this review whose leader carries no documented public record of concern.
📌 ⚖️ 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐒’ 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄
🟠 Larry Devoe, attorney general: An ally of Delcy Rodríguez. As Venezuela’s representative before the United Nations and the Inter-American human rights system, he repeatedly denied that abuses were taking place in Venezuela and rejected international investigators. Civil society organizations have questioned his independence.
🟠 Tarek William Saab, head of a major government social mission: Served as attorney general from 2017 to 2026. Opposition leaders and human rights organizations have accused him of using the Prosecutor’s Office to persecute dissidents. He has been held responsible for more than 2,400 arrests following the events of 2024. He has reportedly been sanctioned by the European Union and Canada.
🟠 Eglée González Lobato, ombudswoman: Appointed by the government-controlled National Assembly. Civil society organizations criticized her appointment, arguing that she would not operate independently of the government.
📌 👪 𝐂𝐇Á𝐕𝐄𝐙’𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑
🟠 Rosinés Chávez, head of the Venezuela Youth Mission: Hugo Chávez’s youngest daughter. She had served as president of the National Parks Institute, known as Inparques, since 2024. On June 15, 2026, Delcy Rodríguez reassigned her to lead the government’s Venezuela Youth Mission. No sanctions or personal cases were found against her, but analysts cite her appointment—and that of her sister—as examples of nepotism.
🟠 María Gabriela Chávez, alternate ambassador to the United Nations: Chávez’s most publicly visible daughter. She has been mentioned, but never convicted, in corruption and money-laundering cases, including the scheme involving former national treasurer Alejandro Andrade. She was also connected in 2014 to an allegedly irregular contract denounced by opposition lawmakers. Investigations in Venezuela did not move forward. Some analysts speculate that Chavismo may be positioning her as a possible eventual successor to Delcy Rodríguez.
They are joined by Daniella Cabello, Diosdado Cabello’s daughter and the current tourism minister, discussed above: three ruling-family surnames placed or repositioned in public office within a matter of months.
📌 🧩 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄
The cabinet combines military officers in the most sensitive positions, internationally sanctioned political operators in communications and economic affairs, and longtime members of the state apparatus in the social-policy ministries.
It is a recycling of Chavista personnel, with Delcy Rodríguez moving the pieces.
Of the more than 20 figures examined, nearly all carry at least one documented allegation, controversy, sanction, or established connection to the regime. The true exceptions—those with no public record at all—can be counted on one hand.
Delcy Rodríguez’s removal from the OFAC sanctions list and Alex Saab’s deportation to the United States also point to some form of negotiation with Washington.
The government still includes other officials sanctioned by OFAC in November 2024, including Ricardo Menéndez, vice president for Planning; Julio García Zerpa, minister of Penitentiary Services; and Alexis Rodríguez Cabello, head of SEBIN and a cousin of Diosdado Cabello.
🔥 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋. 𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒.
They move from one office to another while the country they helped destroy remains in mourning—enduring blackouts, deprivation, repression, and exile.
These are not technocrats. They are not public servants. They are the administrators of a national tragedy they helped create.
Until there is genuine justice, this record will only continue to grow.
Washington must not mistake recycled power for a democratic transition—or diplomacy for accountability.
For the attention of the U.S. government:
@SecRubio @StateDept @WHAAsstSecty @USTreasury @usembassyve