In a statement released by the US State Department, Trump said his administration was already seeing results from increased cooperation with Venezuela’s interim government in combating drug cartels.

Trump also said he had decided that Venezuela should no longer be considered a country that had “failed demonstrably” to meet its commitments in the fight against drugs, citing measures taken under interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

The announcement comes months after the US operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. Since then, the Trump administration has sought to strengthen relations with Caracas while backing Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president.

Venezuela, however, remains among the countries on the US list of major drug-producing or transit nations.

Washington Steps Up Fight Against Drug Networks

Since 2025, the US administration has designated several Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations, including Tren de Aragua in Venezuela, Los Choneros and Los Lobos in Ecuador, and the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.

Trump also said his administration had made what he called “historic progress” in protecting Americans from deadly drugs and drug-trafficking organizations.

He pointed to strengthened security measures along the US southern border, describing it as the most secure and tightly controlled border in the country’s history.

A Regional Initiative Against Drug Trafficking

In March, Trump launched the “Shield of the Americas” initiative during a summit in Doral, Florida. The initiative is presented as a multinational political and military framework aimed at coordinating efforts against drug-trafficking networks across the Western Hemisphere.

The coalition brings together around 20 countries in the region, with the stated objective of strengthening cooperation against organized crime and narcotics trafficking.

The latest US decision regarding Venezuela reflects the evolving relationship between Washington and Caracas, with counter-narcotics cooperation emerging as a key area of engagement between the two sides.