Trump says Rodríguez is cooperating with US officials

According to Donald Trump, Delcy Rodríguez is cooperating with US officials. At the same time, the White House chief emphasized that there had been no contacts with her circle before the overthrow of Nicolas Maduro.

Asked whether there had been any such contacts earlier, Trump replied in the negative.

"No, that’s not the case," he said, adding that a determination will be made soon about whether existing sanctions against Rodríguez will be left in place or lifted.

When questioned about whether there had been any agreement with Venezuelan officials regarding Maduro’s removal, Trump answered affirmatively, saying many people wanted such a deal, while insisting it was done without the involvement of Maduro’s closest associates.

Trump also declined to say whether he's spoken to Rodríguez yet, but he said that Rubio "speaks to her fluently in Spanish" and that their "relationship has been very strong."

Trump also hinted that the United States could launch a second military intervention in Venezuela if Rodríguez were to stop cooperating with US officials, though he said he does not consider this necessary. He added that he had initially expected the possibility of redeploying US troops, saying the US was ready to do so and had anticipated that option.

Commenting on reports by The Washington Post that he had rejected the possibility of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado assuming the presidency because she won the Nobel Peace Prize last year and he did not, Trump dismissed the claim, saying it did not influence his decision.

On January 3, the United States carried out a special operation in Caracas, resulting in the detention of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro is expected to stand trial in the United States on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession.