US Vice President JD Vance on Friday said he has been “very involved” in the Trump administration’s planning and decision-making on Venezuela, firmly rejecting reports that he or Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were sidelined from preparations for the recent US operation in the country

Speaking at a White House news conference, Vance dismissed media claims suggesting key officials were excluded due to concerns over military escalation. “I’ve heard a couple of things. One, that I was kept out of the planning for the Venezuela operation — that’s false,” he said. “And another is that Tulsi was kept out of the planning — that’s completely false.”

Vance said the planning process was intentionally limited to senior cabinet-level officials and closely related personnel to ensure secrecy and operational success. “We kept it very tight to the senior cabinet-level officials in our government, and we kept this operation secret for a very long time,” he said, adding that he was proud of how closely coordinated the effort was.

Describing his role, Vance said he chairs regular meetings of White House principals focused on Venezuela’s next phase. “Every other day, I’m chairing meetings among White House principals to talk about next steps to try to ensure that Venezuela is stable,” he said, underscoring his ongoing involvement.

He added that his responsibilities are guided directly by President Donald Trump. “My role’s going to be whatever the president asks me to do,” Vance said, while noting that he has been actively engaged in both strategic discussions and policy coordination related to Venezuela.

Vance said the administration’s objective is to influence the behavior of Venezuela’s new leadership following the arrest of former President Nicolás Maduro. According to him, President Trump has directed officials to ensure that the new government “listens to the United States and does what the United States needs it to do in the best interest of our country.”

While declining to discuss operational details, Vance suggested that the tight handling of planning reflected strong internal cooperation. “I think it suggests that the team works very well together,” he said.

Addressing concerns from Caribbean and Latin American nations, Vance said the administration remains engaged diplomatically across the region. He cited a recent phone conversation between President Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro as part of broader regional coordination efforts.

Vance also framed the Venezuela operation as part of a larger strategy to weaken transnational criminal organizations. He said that cutting off illicit revenue streams from cocaine, fentanyl, and other illegal activities would significantly reduce instability in the Western Hemisphere.

“When you take away a major source of illegal cartel revenue, you remove the power of one of the main destabilising forces in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he said.

Characterising Trump’s approach as focused on deterrence and stability, Vance added, “This is the president of peace. One of the ways that you establish peace in your own hemisphere is to make it clear that the United States is going to be respected.”

Vance said he would remain deeply involved in Venezuela policy for as long as President Trump requests. “So far, that’s been very involved,” he said.