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PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 28th, 2026: U.S. Intelligence Raises Red Flags About Delcy Rodriguez & Europe Targets Putin’s Oil Fleet
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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 vow to obstruct ships suspected of evading oil sanctions. But first, today's afternoon spotlight in Washington. There is a growing sense that the post Maduro 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 interim President Delsey Rodriguez. Privately, though, US 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, formally 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 advisers tied to those governments 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 US 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 US 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 US into a deeper military role. If she were to fully break with US 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 Corina 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 US intervention. That statement added to the sense that her cousin cooperation may be conditional and fragile. Which brings us to the second part of this story. On Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has now made the administration's position unmistakably clear. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio warned that the US Is prepared to take further military action if Venezuela's interim leadership strays from US expectations. While he emphasized that the US 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 US companies, ending subsidized oil exports to Cuba, directing oil revenues toward the purchase of American goods and dismantling networks tied to narco trafficking and 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 aligns with advancing US 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 US 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 Dele Rodriguez is genuinely charting a new course for Venezuela or simply buying time. Coming up next, bad news for Moscow as 14 European countries announce 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 with an important message though, for every small business out there. Now, small businesses face an uphill battle with big banks where getting a loan means endless paperwork and delays. You know what I'm talking about. Now, for bank rates without the weight, here's what you can do. Go to Cardiff Co SLPDB for up to $500,000 in funding. That's Cardiff C, A, R, D, I, F, F Cardiff Co pdb. Their application takes less than five minutes. That's incredible. Has no impact on personal credit. And approvals happen in minutes with same day funding. It's the fastest way to get the capital you need to keep your business moving forward. Many banks try to lock out small businesses, but Cardiff has the key. Cardiff wants to improve your business loan. If you've been in business for at least a year and are pulling in $20,000 a month in revenue, apply now for up to $500,000 in same day business funding at Cardiff Co/PDB. Again, that's Cardiff.co/PDB. Real growth, fast funding Cardiff Borrow better. Mike Baker here. Now, PDB listeners know that I'm constantly traveling, which could explain my. My hoarse voice right now. So I guess I've become a bit of an expert on airports and luggage. Let me tell you about a great company out there designing and selling incredible luggage. I'm talking, of course, about Noble Travel. That's N O B L Noble Travel. All right, let me give you a scenario. Picture this, if you will. You're in line at airport security. Oh, that sounds fun. Maybe you got a coffee cup in your hand, but it's sloshing around. Your phone is now dying, and you got to dig in your carry on for your laptop. So you can put that in the X ray bin while the folks in line behind you get increasingly annoyed. 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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 Ghost Stor 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 of US led enforcement already underway. The US has been targeting sanctioned evasion routes aggressively, particularly those running through Venezuela. Over recent months, the US 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 Aloran Sea, escorting it to the Gulf of Fos. French authorities detained the ship's Indian captain while prosecutors in Marseille opened a preliminary investigation. That seizure followed another French tanker interception just days earlier, marking the second such operation 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, 28 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@the first tv.com I'm thinking gargle with saltwater, 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. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. It.