Vance Says Venezuela Will Have to ‘Play Ball With the United States,’ No Matter Who’s in Charge

Vice President JD Vance made it clear this week that regardless of who ends up leading Venezuela, they will have no choice but to align with American interests moving forward. In a radio interview, Vance emphasized that the Trump administration’s priority is the safety and prosperity of the American people — and that any future leadership in Venezuela must operate with that understanding.

“We want what’s best for the Venezuelan people,” Vance said. “But more importantly than that by a factor of a hundred, we want what’s best for the American people — and whoever the leader of that country is, is going to have to play ball with the United States.”

Vance noted that for years, American adversaries were allowed to gain a foothold in Venezuela, doing business and setting up infrastructure that posed a direct threat to U.S. national security. He pointed to Venezuela’s use of oil profits to fund narco-terrorism networks, some of which have funneled drugs into American communities.

“They’ve used their own energy money to fund this terrible narco-terrorism against the United States,” Vance said. “What the president did — and really, the entire team made possible — is to cut off that flow of energy money to narco-terrorists… I think it’s going to save lives, it’s going to mean cheaper gas and energy prices for Americans, and maybe most importantly, it’s going to mean that we have more control over the energy resources that exist in the world.”

Vance also praised the recent U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, admitting he had doubts about whether it could be pulled off so cleanly. “It was a very important operation. It was carried out flawlessly,” he said. “I think it will create great benefits for the American people.”

The message from the Vice President echoed the broader tone of the Trump administration: the United States is no longer playing defense in the Western Hemisphere. With a collapsing socialist regime finally out of power and American forces guiding the transition, Venezuela’s future will now unfold under the watchful eye of a resurgent United States.