US Holds Secret Indictment of Venezuela's Acting President, Claims Opposition Journalist

Armando.info editor says Trump DOJ has crafted a secret indictment of Delcy Rodriguez to 'hold it over her head' if she 'derails'.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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A US-funded opposition journalist revealed that the Trump administration is using a secret indictment to assert leverage over Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Valentina Lares Martiz, the editor-in-chief of the US government-funded outlet Armando.info, claimed during a webinar that 'the US is holding an indictment against [Rodriguez] to make it public, just in case she derails.' The Trump administration has reportedly classified Rodriguez as a 'priority target' for the Drug Enforcement Administration almost immediately after she was appointed Vice President in 2018.

Why it matters

This case highlights the Trump administration's use of legal pressure and the threat of indictments as a tool to exert influence over foreign leaders. The US government has a history of using sealed indictments to deny targets the chance to pre-empt investigations, as seen with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Venezuelan official Alex Saab. The revelation raises concerns about the US undermining Venezuela's sovereignty and democracy through coercive tactics.

The details

According to the report, the Trump DOJ has crafted a secret indictment against Delcy Rodríguez, the Acting President of Venezuela, in order to 'hold it over her head' and make it public 'just in case she derails.' Rodríguez stepped into the role following a deadly US military raid on Caracas in January 2026 that left over 100 dead, including 32 Cuban military officers, and resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro. Since then, Rodríguez has presided over the passage of an Organic Law on Hydrocarbons that rolled back socialist reforms to Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA. The Trump administration has assumed custody of Venezuela's oil revenue, holding the profits in a private account in Qatar.

  • In January 2026, a deadly US military raid on Caracas left over 100 dead and resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro.
  • Delcy Rodríguez stepped in as Acting President following the January 2026 raid.
  • In January 2026, US President Donald Trump recognized Rodríguez as the new leader, but warned 'if she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.'

The players

Delcy Rodríguez

The Acting President of Venezuela following the January 2026 US military raid on Caracas.

Donald Trump

The former US President who recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela's new leader in January 2026 but threatened her with a 'very big price' if she didn't 'do what's right.'

Nicolas Maduro

The former President of Venezuela who was kidnapped during the January 2026 US military raid on Caracas.

Jorge Rodríguez

The brother of Delcy Rodríguez who has also served in influential roles under Maduro.

Valentina Lares Martiz

The editor-in-chief of the US government-funded outlet Armando.info who revealed the Trump administration's alleged use of a secret indictment against Delcy Rodríguez.

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What they’re saying

“One of the information we manage is that the US is holding an indictment against [Rodriguez] to make it public, just in case she derails.”

— Valentina Lares Martiz, Editor-in-Chief, Armando.info (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

“Yeah, so, I think she, she and her brother [Jorge Rodríguez], they are in this survival mode, and they will have the capacity to move the pieces, as long as the US backs her up.”

— Valentina Lares Martiz, Editor-in-Chief, Armando.info (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

“This isn't without precedent, in terms of [the US government] hanging an indictment over somebody to cajole them into doing their bidding.”

— Steven Dudley, Insight Crime (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Delcy Rodríguez out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the Trump administration's use of legal pressure and the threat of indictments as a tool to exert influence over foreign leaders, raising concerns about the US undermining Venezuela's sovereignty and democracy through coercive tactics.