U.S. Covert Plot to Recruit Maduro’s Pilot Raises Stakes in Venezuela
In what reads more like a Cold-War espionage novel than standard diplomacy, U.S. federal agents sought to turn the inner circle of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by recruiting his chief pilot, Bitner Villegas, into delivering Maduro into American custody, according to AP News and several other news outlets.
The Plot
According to documents reviewed by the Associated Press, the plan began in April 2024 when U.S. Homeland Security agent Edwin Lopez, working out of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, made contact with the pilot under the guise of a routine interview at an airport hangar.
Lopez allegedly offered Villegas large sums of money and safety in return for flying Maduro into an area where U.S. authorities could take him into custody — perhaps Puerto Rico, Guantánamo Bay or other U.S.-controlled territory. Over the next 16 months encrypted message‐exchanges followed, and the U.S. even leveraged a reward of $50 million for Maduro’s capture.
Despite this effort, the pilot ultimately refused to cooperate, reaffirming loyalty to Maduro and blocking further overtures.
Strategic Context
Why did the U.S. go to such lengths? Maduro has been indicted in the U.S. on narco‐terrorism charges, accused of leading a vast drug trafficking network that floods the U.S. with cocaine.The recruitment of the pilot appears to be a non-traditional, high‐risk move that reflects the U.S. government’s increasing frustration with diplomatic and sanctions tools alone. In parallel, the U.S. has deployed significant military assets to the Caribbean and authorised covert operations via the CIA inside Venezuela, noted by Financial Times.
Legal and Geopolitical Risks
The operation raises serious questions. First, from an international law perspective: recruiting the pilot of a foreign head of state to betray him could be seen as a major interference in the sovereignty of Venezuela. Second, such a plot shows the U.S. is willing to pursue extraterritorial measures rather than pure diplomacy or intelligence sharing. Third, the reliance on covert manipulation rather than transparent process undermines the U.S.’s claim to a rule-of-law foreign policy.
For Venezuela, the exposure of the plot is a propaganda win: Maduro’s regime can portray this as blatant U.S. interventionism aimed at regime change rather than legitimate law enforcement.
For U.S. policy: The failure of the pilot recruitment forces Washington to reassess high‐risk gambits and possibly return to more conventional options (sanctions, diplomatic isolation, multilateral pressure).
For Venezuelan internal politics: The incident could bolster Maduro’s narrative of being under siege by foreign powers and tighten his control over the military and aviation circles.
For the region: Latin American governments will watch closely. If the U.S. is seen as crossing a line of sovereign boundaries, it could provoke pushback and stronger regional alliances with Caracas, Beijing or Moscow.
This episode reflects a turning point: U.S. strategy vis-à-vis Venezuela has moved from public sanctions and diplomatic pressure into covert recruitment and possible subversion. While the recruitment effort failed, it serves as a blunt signal: the U.S. is willing to entertain bold, unconventional operations against Maduro’s government. Whether this advances U.S. objectives or backfires by fuelling anti-American resentment remains a critical question.
