Miami-based investigative reporter Joshua Goodman received a tip that Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez had long been of interest to U.S. law enforcement, even as the Trump administration embraced her as a key partner in efforts to stabilize Venezuela.
Working with New York-based reporter Jim Mustian and Washington-based Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker, the team contacted numerous law enforcement sources and ultimately gained access to a rare window into several U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigations. The reporting showed that the DEA had compiled a detailed intelligence file on Rodríguez, which catalogued her known associates and included allegations ranging from drug trafficking and money laundering to gold smuggling.
The reporting stood out not only for its exclusivity and depth, but for its timing — surfacing as Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado visited Washington to argue against U.S. engagement with Rodríguez. The story helped illuminate the stark contrast between Rodríguez’s public image and the federal investigations unfolding behind the scenes.
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