Rubio 'Elbowed' Richard Grenell Out of Venezuela File Before Maduro Capture: 'He Was a Nobody in Latin America': Report

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed Richard Grenell out of the administration's Venezuela portfolio ahead of the January 3 U.S. operation against Nicolás Maduro, according to diplomatic sources cited by The Daily Mail, which report that internal disputes over strategy sidelined the former special envoy despite his earlier prominent role leading talks with Caracas.

The Daily Mail, citing multiple diplomatic and administration sources, reports that Rubio — backed by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles — "successfully 'elbowed' Grenell out of the Venezuela portfolio entirely," leaving him excluded from final decisions as the administration shifted toward a military-centered approach.

One U.S. diplomat told the outlet that opposition leader María Corina Machado declined to engage with Grenell, saying, "he is a nobody in Latin America," and that she "didn't know or trust him."

According to the report, Grenell had initially been assigned Venezuela as a key file at the start of the president's second term and pursued a diplomatic track that emphasized negotiations, prisoner releases and oil-sector arrangements over regime change.

That approach put him at odds with Rubio, who publicly described Maduro as an "illegitimate" leader and a "fugitive from American justice," and advocated what officials described as a maximum-pressure strategy.

Back in October President Trump halted Grenell's diplomatic outreach to Maduro and other Venezuelan officials after months of negotiations, as The New York Times reported. U.S. officials said Grenell received direct instructions to stop talks as the administration prepared military escalation options tied to narcotics trafficking and Maduro's removal from power.

Rubio and his allies argued at the time that Grenell's channel was creating confusion and undercutting pressure efforts.

Going back to September, a senior administration official told Semafor that Grenell's public comments pushing for a deal with Maduro were "out of step with the president and administration" and that he was no longer involved in Venezuela policymaking, despite retaining the envoy title.

The administration ultimately placed Rubio in charge of key Venezuela decisions, as Grenell clashed with the State Secretary on additional Venezuela matters, including deportation talks and oil license policy.