The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has issued a categorical rejection of recent statements made by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Director Terry Cole, describing them as part of a “groundless media campaign” aimed at justifying new imperialist aggressions against the South American nation.

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In an interview with Fox News, Cole alleged that Venezuela had become a “narco-terrorist state” collaborating with Colombian guerrilla groups FARC and ELN to traffic cocaine to Mexican cartels and into the United States. He claimed that the Trump administration had seized more cocaine in 2025 than in previous years, framing the Venezuelan government as a central actor in transnational drug networks.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez responded forcefully, stating that Cole’s claims are not only false but contradicted by the DEA’s own documentation. She cited the agency’s National Drug Threat Assessment reports from 2024 and 2025, which do not mention Venezuela as a significant factor in global drug trafficking. “This omission reveals the contradiction and bad faith behind these allegations,” Rodríguez said.

She went further, accusing the DEA itself of being “the largest drug cartel in the world,” referencing historical allegations of the agency’s involvement in covert narcotics operations. “Terry Cole knows this well,” she added, asserting that the DEA lacks the moral authority to accuse a peaceful and sovereign nation.

Rodríguez framed the accusations as part of a broader geopolitical strategy to destabilize Venezuela and seize control of its vast energy and mineral resources. “This is a desperate attempt to undermine Bolivarian internationalism and Venezuela’s independent development model,” she said, reaffirming that the country’s natural wealth belongs to its people—not to foreign powers.

Venezuela reiterated its position that “the real cartel is in the North,” and accused the U.S. government of using its agencies to destabilize nations that defend their sovereignty. In response to the threats, Rodríguez affirmed that Venezuela will maintain a “firm and unbreakable” stance. “We will defend our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and historical dignity,” she declared, noting that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and the united people are prepared to confront any aggression.

The exchange comes amid heightened tensions, following the U.S. deployment of naval destroyers near Venezuelan waters and the announcement of a $50 million bounty for President Nicolás Maduro’s capture. Venezuela views these moves as violations of international law and part of a coordinated campaign to justify military escalation.

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