Diosdado Cabello

Profile

Diosdado Cabello Rondon (b. 1963) is a retired military officer, senior leader of Venezuela's ruling PSUV party, and, since August 2024, Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace. He is widely considered one of the three principal power brokers of chavismo, and after the 2026 capture of Nicolas Maduro he remains a central figure in the interim administration of Delcy Rodriguez.[caracol-2024-08-27-cabello-interior][npr-2026-01-18-cabello-enforcer]

Sanctions and federal indictment

On 18 May 2018 the U.S. Treasury's OFAC sanctioned Cabello together with his wife Marleny Contreras and his brother Jose David Cabello, describing an alleged corruption network tied to drug trafficking.[ofac-2018-05-18-cabello]

On 26 March 2020 the Department of Justice filed charges against Cabello in the Southern District of New York for narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation and weapons offences, describing him as a ringleader of the Cartel de los Soles. The reward for information leading to his arrest, originally USD 10 million, was raised to USD 25 million.[doj-2020-03-26-indictment]

Cabello was named in a superseding indictment of 3 January 2026, alongside Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores and others, and in the November 2025 designation that identified the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.[state-2025-11-24-fto-soles]

Interior Minister and "colectivos"

Since his 2024 appointment, Cabello commands Venezuela's national police and the pro-government armed groups known as colectivos. Human Rights Watch documented that during the crackdown following the contested July 2024 presidential election 24 people were killed and more than 2,000 arrested, in operations under his ministry.[npr-2026-01-18-cabello-enforcer]

Position after Maduro's capture

After the U.S. operation that captured Maduro in early 2026, Cabello appeared publicly in Caracas in helmet and flak jacket, calling the operation a "cowardly attack" and urging Venezuelans not to cooperate with the "terrorist enemy". He retains command of the domestic security apparatus while Rodriguez seeks to negotiate with the Trump administration.[npr-2026-01-18-cabello-enforcer]

Reference status

The sanctions and charges above are official U.S. government actions. Cabello has denied all allegations, calling them a "big lie".[npr-2026-01-18-cabello-enforcer]