Back-Channel Push to Ease Venezuela Pressure Failed as Rubio Consolidated Power: Report
A sprawling influence campaign backed by oil investors, bondholders, and political operatives reportedly spent much of 2025 trying to convince President Donald Trump to soften U.S. policy toward Venezuela, but ultimately failed as Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerged as the administration’s dominant voice on Caracas.
According to an extensive investigation by POLITICO, at the center of the effort was Florida businessman Harry Sargeant III, a longtime investor in Venezuela’s oil sector whose companies depended on access to Venezuelan crude.
The outlet noted that Sargeant, along with former Republican congressman Aaron Schock and a network of investors and consultants, worked behind the scenes to promote a more pragmatic relationship with the government of then-authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro sidelining officials advocating a tougher approach.
The report details a clash within Trump’s foreign policy orbit. On one side stood Rubio and former special envoy Mauricio Claver-Carone, architects of a pressure campaign aimed at weakening the Maduro regime. On the other hand, different business interests argued that sanctions had failed to produce political change while driving Venezuela closer to China and Russia.
According to POLITICO, Sargeant viewed Richard Grenell, Trump’s special envoy for special missions, as a potential counterweight to Rubio’s influence. Schock allegedly helped arrange meetings and diplomatic contacts that contributed to Grenell’s January 2025 trip to Caracas, where six detained Americans were released and Venezuela agreed to resume deportation flights from the United States.
The report says participants hoped the diplomatic breakthrough would elevate Grenell’s standing inside the administration and strengthen arguments for a less confrontational Venezuela policy. Instead, Rubio’s influence continued to grow.
Internal messages reviewed by POLITICO reveal that Schock, consultant Benjamin Papermaster, and a group of major investors launched a coordinated communications effort to persuade the White House that economic engagement with Venezuela served American interests.
The campaign reportedly involved public relations firms, conservative influencers, opinion articles, and outreach to oil companies with investments in the South American nation. One of the central arguments promoted by the group was that continued sanctions would benefit geopolitical rivals such as China, Russia, and Iran while harming American energy companies.
Participants also argued that economic stabilization in Venezuela could reduce migration pressures on the United States. The campaign attracted support from investors holding Venezuelan debt and some energy sector stakeholders. POLITICO reported that Chevron, which maintained significant operations in Venezuela under a Treasury Department license, was among the companies approached during the effort.
Chevron declined to discuss specific details of its involvement but said it operated in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The investigation also describes attempts to shape public debate through conservative media figures and social media influencers. Messages reviewed by POLITICO suggest organizers sought to create the impression of broader grassroots support for a more flexible Venezuela strategy.
Despite those efforts, Rubio steadily expanded his influence within the administration. He became the acting national security adviser and successfully reframed Venezuela policy around narcotics trafficking and security concerns rather than ideological opposition to socialism.
The decisive moment came in May 2025 when the administration allowed key licenses for U.S. companies operating in Venezuela, including Chevron and Sargeant’s interests, to expire. The move signaled that Rubio’s camp had prevailed in the internal debate. The outcome became even clearer in January 2026 when U.S. special forces captured Maduro during a dramatic operation in Caracas.
POLITICO also reported that the FBI has examined aspects of Sargeant’s efforts, citing sources familiar with the matter. Sargeant’s attorney, Christopher Kise, denied wrongdoing and disputed claims that his client orchestrated a political influence campaign, insisting Sargeant acted lawfully and focused on protecting American business interests.
