Venezuela’s Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that 85% of the profits from the global illicit drug trade remain in the United States. Photo: Venezolana de Televisión
Guacamaya, September 8, 2025. Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela—marked by increased military surveillance in the Caribbean under the banner of anti-narcotics operations—Rodríguez spoke to national and international media, claiming that the U.S. seeks to “justify an armed aggression” in order to “seize Venezuela’s wealth.”
Speaking from the headquarters of the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, which she also heads, Rodríguez asserted that Venezuela “is not a relevant country in terms of drug trafficking,” citing United Nations reports from the past 27 years. She added that the country has made an “extraordinary effort” to curb illicit activity and accused the U.S. of “double standards” on the issue.
“The positioning of ships off Venezuela’s coast aims to violate our country’s sovereignty and establish an armed aggression against the Venezuelan people, and in response, Venezuela’s truth must prevail,” Rodríguez said. She also emphasized that military intervention is not an appropriate response to crimes considered common, such as drug trafficking.
“We have monitored and studied the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Annual Drug Report from 1999 to 2025. For twenty-seven consecutive years, Venezuela has not appeared as a relevant country in terms of illicit drugs, narcotics, or psychotropics,” she added.
Rodríguez claimed that over 85% of global drug trafficking profits remain in the U.S., and that the fentanyl crisis affecting the country stems from shipments entering through legal ports. She also cited DEA reports estimating between 2.5 and 3 million illegal firearms in the U.S., and acknowledged that drug-related money laundering occurs within U.S. territory.
Regarding trafficking routes, Rodríguez stated that only 5% of illicit drugs attempt to pass through Venezuela, of which 70% are seized and destroyed. She noted that 87% of the cocaine reaching the U.S. originates from Colombia and Ecuador via the Pacific route, and stressed that Venezuela is neither a producer, nor a primary export route, nor a storage zone for drugs.
She argued that the most relevant country in terms of drug trafficking is the United States itself. “Efforts—or their ships—should be concentrated in the Pacific, if they truly wanted to prevent those drugs from reaching the United States of America. It’s a double standard. If the U.S. wants to fight this scourge, it must be honest,” Rodríguez said.
The Vice President also reiterated Venezuela’s strong performance in resisting pressure from drug-producing countries. She reported that more than 402 aircraft have been shot down and multiple laboratories dismantled in Venezuela as part of its anti-narcotics efforts. In 2025 alone, she said, around 56 tons of drugs have been seized.
Rodríguez called the accusation that Venezuela is a “narco-terrorist” state a “lie,” and said the government will present data and international legal frameworks to prove the country bears no responsibility for such crimes. She reaffirmed Venezuela’s commitment to international cooperation in combating drug trafficking, but rejected any form of military aggression.
