The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 28th, 2026: U.S. Intelligence Raises Red Flags About Delcy Rodriguez & Europe Targets Putin’s Oil Fleet

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up—behind the scenes, U.S. intelligence is raising doubts about whether Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is truly aligned with Washington’s goals, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns that military action remains an option if cooperation falters. Later in the show—Europe moves to crack down on Russia’s so-called “ghost tanker” fleet, as more than a dozen countries pledge to obstruct ships suspected of skirting oil sanctions and violating maritime law. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  Nobl Travel: Protect your gear and travel smarter—NOBL’s zipper-free carry-on is up to 58% off at https://NOBLTravel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Exclusions apply for licenses. See homedepo.com slash license numbers. It's Wednesday, the 28th of January. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. And yes, I'm still on the road and also it does appear that I'm losing my voice. All right, let's get briefed. First up, behind the scenes, U.S. intelligence is questioning whether Venezuela's interim leader

is really on board with Washington's plan as Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns the option of force remains on the table. Later in the show, Europe moves to clamp down on Russia's so-called ghost tanker fleet, as multiple countries vowed to obstruct ships suspected of evading oil sanctions. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. In Washington, there is a growing sense that the post-Moduro transition in Venezuela may not be unfolding quite as smoothly as it looks on the surface. Publicly, the Trump administration says it's seeing cooperation from Interimilar, President Delci Rodriguez. Privately, though, U.S. intelligence appears far less convinced.

According to new exclusive reporting from Reuters, recent U.S. intelligence assessments are raising doubts about whether Rodriguez is actually prepared to follow through on Washington's central demand, formerly severing Venezuela's ties with U.S. adversaries Iran, China, and Russia. U.S. officials have been clear about what they want. They expect Rodriguez to expel foreign diplomats and advisors tied to those government's intelligence apparatus and to decisively realign Venezuela away from what Washington views as hostile influence in the Western Hemisphere. But so far, well, that break hasn't happened. Rodriguez's swearing-in ceremony earlier this month was attended by representatives from Iran,

China, and Russia. Since taking office, she has yet to publicly announce any move to cut those relationships. Intelligence officials now say it's unclear whether she's fully on board with the U.S. strategy or simply managing Washington while preserving old alliances. Now, this skepticism about Venezuela's interim president isn't entirely new. Sources told Reuters that concerns about Rodriguez's reliability were already present before the U.S. operation that removed Maduro. And while she's taken steps designed to stay in Washington's good graces, releasing political. prisoners and authorizing the sale of tens of millions of barrels of oil to the U.S., those moves may just be tactical.

It's also worth noting that we reported a few weeks ago on CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Caracas, where he met directly with Rodriguez to discuss Venezuela's political future. Reuters says it's unclear whether that meeting changed the intelligence community's assessment. For now, doubts remain. Those doubts carry real consequences. for Washington's broader plan, which depends on Rodriguez delivering stability without pulling the U.S. into a deeper military role. If she were to fully break with U.S. rivals, it could unlock significant American investment in Venezuela's energy sector. If she doesn't, well, it risks

undercutting the administration's ability to steer events from a distance. At the same time, U.S. officials privately acknowledge they don't see an immediate alternative. Rodriguez is deeply tied to Venezuela's oil sector, and the intelligence community has previously assessed that figures loyal to the old Maduro system were best positioned to keep the country functioning in the short term. That leaves Washington in a bind, backing leader that it doesn't entirely trust. Meanwhile, opposition leader Maria Carina Machado is viewed as a longer-term option. Intelligence reporting suggests she lacks the deep connections to the security services and oil industry needed to govern right now, even though she remains popular with Venezuelans and well-regarded inside the

White House. All of this unfolded against the backdrop of yesterday's story when Rodriguez publicly rebuked Washington, saying she had, quote, had enough of U.S. intervention. That statement added to the sense that her cooperation may be conditional and fragile, which brings us to the second part of this story. On Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marker Rubio has now made the administration's position unmistakably clear. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio warned that the U.S. is prepared to take further military action if Venezuela's interim leadership strays from U.S. expectations. While he emphasized that the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela and that there are no American troops on the ground, he also made clear that force remains on the table

if cooperation breaks down. In his testimony, Rubio outlined Washington's objectives, including opening Venezuela's energy sector to U.S. companies, ending subsidized oil exports to Cuba, directing oil revenues toward the purchase of American goods, and dismantling networks tied to narco-trafficking and sanctioned actors. Rubio also said that Rodriguez understands the stakes, saying she is, quote, well aware of Maduro's fate and that her own self-interest align with advancing U.S. objectives. That warning comes as the administration continues to normalize ties with Caracas, including notifying Congress this week of plans to send additional personnel to prepare for reopening the U.S. Embassy. Rodriguez, for her part, says communications channels

with Washington are, quote, respectful and courteous, even as intelligence officials remain wary. The question that remains is whether Delci Rodriguez is genuinely charting a new course for Venezuela, or simply buying time. Coming up next, bad news for Moscow, as 14 European countries announced coordinated action to disrupt tankers accused of violating sanctions and maritime rules. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here, well, with admittedly a very scratchy voice for now,

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Welcome back to the PDB afternoon bulletin. More nations are now declaring war on Russia's so-called ghost fleet, taking direct aim at the oil revenue that continues to keep Vladimir Putin's war machine running. It's part of a broader, intensifying campaign to choke off Russia's ability to sell oil outside the sanctions regime, and the net is tightening. According to new reporting, 14 countries bordering the Baltic and North Seas, along with Iceland, have committed to actively obstructing tankers suspected of violating sanctions or international maritime rules.

These governments say they will no longer simply track or monitor suspect vessels, but intervene, stopping ships, demanding documentation, and treating those that fail to comply as effectively stateless. At the center of this effort is Russia's go-store shadow fleet, hundreds of aging tankers operating under flags of convenience, opaque ownership structures, and deliberately disabled tracking systems. As we've covered here on the PDB, these ships allow Moscow to move oil quietly,

often at prices above the G7 cap, funneling billions of dollars back into the Kremlin despite Western sanctions. Now this crackdown builds on months, U.S.-led enforcement already underway. The U.S. has been targeting sanction evasion routes aggressively, particularly those running through Venezuela. Over recent months, the U.S. military has seized seven Venezuela-linked tankers carrying sanctioned crude, part of a sustained campaign to disrupt oil flows tied to Russia and its partners. As we reported last week, France has also stepped up

enforcement. Just yesterday, French naval commandos intercepted the tanker Grinch in the Alboros, and sea, escorting it to the Gulf of Fos. French authorities detained the ship's Indian captain, while prosecutors in Marseilles opened a preliminary investigation. That seizure followed another French tanker interception just days earlier, marking the second such operation in as many weeks. These actions signal a clear shift. Sanctions are no longer just financial instruments or diplomatic warnings. They are being enforced physically at sea by multiple countries. Under international maritime law, vessels that fail to properly identify themselves, falsify registration, or operate without valid documentation, can be treated as ships without nationality. That legal framework

is now being used more aggressively, giving coastal states justification to board, detain, and seize vessels tied to sanctions evasion. For Moscow, this represents a direct threat to one of the few economic lifelines still functioning. Oil revenue remains critical. to sustaining Russia's military operations, funding weapons production, and cushioning the domestic impact of the war. And for Western governments, this campaign does carry risk. Intercepting tankers raises the possibility of legal challenges, diplomatic retaliation, or even maritime confrontations. But officials appear increasingly convinced that passive enforcement is no longer enough. The message being sent is rather unmistakable. The era of looking the other way, while ghost tankers

quietly move sanctioned oil is coming to an end. What comes next will depend on how far this coalition is willing to go, and how Russia chooses to respond as its shadow fleet finds fewer and fewer places to hide. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Wednesday, the 28th of January. Now, if you have any questions or comments, including, perhaps you've got some tips on how to get rid of a horse throat, please reach out to me at PDB at the first TV. dot com. I'm thinking gargle with salt water, maybe some hot tea with lemon, maybe a little bit of bourbon. How about that? To listen to the show ad-free, of course, just become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting pdb premium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow.

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