WASHINGTON — Erik Prince, the controversial private security executive and prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, made a secret visit to Venezuela last month and met Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, one of socialist leader Nicolas Maduro's closest and most outspoken allies, according to five sources familiar with the matter. The visit, described by one source as "outreach" by Prince to Maduro's government, came just eight months after the founder of the private security firm Blackwater floated a plan to deploy a private army to help the Venezuelan opposition topple Maduro. It was unclear what Prince, the brother of Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, discussed with Rodriguez. A meeting with Rodriguez, who is under U.S. sanctions, could raise questions about whether Prince might have run afoul of U.S. law, which prohibits Americans from virtually any business dealings with sanctioned individuals and specifically with the Venezuelan government. The Venezuelan vice president's office also oversees the country's national intelligence service.

Source: International New York Times December 13, 2019 20:23 UTC