Washington, Jan 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said a government leaker linked to Venezuela has been identified and is now in jail, as he also pointed to what he described as improved engagement with Caracas, including the delivery of oil to the United States.
“The leaker has been found, and the leaker is in jail and will probably be in jail for a long time,” Trump told reporters during a White House event on Wednesday (local time). He said the individual was tied to leaks involving Venezuela and described the case as serious.
Trump said authorities were still pursuing other possible suspects. “There could be some others, and we’ll let you know about that,” he said. “We’re hot on their trail.”
The president did not identify the leaker or specify what information had been disclosed. He also did not say which agency the individual worked for or when the arrest took place. No additional details were released during the briefing.
Trump’s comments on the leaker came as he fielded questions on broader US relations with Venezuela. Asked about signals from Venezuela’s security leadership suggesting reluctance to cooperate with Washington, Trump pushed back.
“With us? They just gave us 50 million barrels of oil,” Trump said, suggesting a recent delivery or agreement involving Venezuelan crude.
Trump said he had spoken directly with a senior Venezuelan figure earlier in the day. “I know the number one,” he said, without naming the official. “We just had a great conversation today, and she’s a terrific person.”
He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also involved in the engagement. “Marco Rubio is dealing with her,” Trump said. “I dealt with her this morning. We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things.”
Trump said the conversation covered multiple issues and suggested relations were moving in a positive direction. “I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela,” he said.
Pressed by reporters about comments from Venezuelan officials indicating resistance to working with the United States, Trump dismissed the concerns. He did not address whether sanctions relief or other incentives were part of the discussions.
Trump also linked the Venezuela issue to what he described as recent demonstrations of US leverage abroad. Referring back to his earlier remarks about leaks and enforcement, he suggested the administration had shown it could act decisively.
“You found that out last week with Venezuela,” Trump said, without elaborating.
–IANS
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