A new national survey finds broad, bipartisan American support for U.S. engagement in Venezuela to counter Iranian entrenchment in its energy sector and Hezbollah’s role in the drug trade, with support strongest among men and Hispanic Americans.
New York, January 14, 2026. A new national survey commissioned by the Council for a Secure America reveals strong American support for U.S. engagement in Venezuela to counter Iranian entrenchment in the country’s energy infrastructure and Hezbollah’s extensive involvement in the transnational drug economy.
The polling data demonstrates particularly robust support among male voters and Hispanic Americans, reflecting heightened concern over the convergence of energy security threats and narcotics trafficking emanating from the Maduro regime’s partnerships with U.S. adversaries.
“Council for a Secure America’s polling demonstrates strong American support for U.S. engagement in Venezuela given the extent of Iran’s entrenchment in the country’s energy sector and Hezbollah’s involvement in the criminal drug economy,” said Jennifer Sutton, Executive Director of the Council for a Secure America. “Both Iran and Venezuela have used their vast energy resources to finance and fuel terrorism. Support is especially strong among men and Hispanic Americans, with the data showing broad agreement that U.S. energy expertise can help Venezuela become a major energy producer again while strengthening American security.”
The survey reveals that Americans across partisan lines recognize Venezuela’s transformation from hemispheric energy leader to failed petrostate has created dangerous opportunities for Iranian influence operations and Hezbollah’s criminal networks. Venezuela’s proven oil reserves, the world’s largest, now serve as collateral for Iranian technical assistance and sanctions evasion schemes that fund terrorism while facilitating narcotics trafficking routes through the Americas.
Key findings underscore public awareness that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has embedded advisors throughout PDVSA, Venezuela’s state oil company, while Hezbollah operatives exploit Venezuela’s collapsed institutions to launder drug proceeds and coordinate logistics for cocaine trafficking networks stretching from South America through Central America to the United States.
The polling indicates Americans understand that restoring Venezuela’s energy sector under democratic governance would simultaneously eliminate Iranian leverage, dismantle Hezbollah’s operational infrastructure, reduce migration pressures, and enhance Western Hemisphere energy security, all while leveraging American technical expertise in petroleum development.
The Council for a Secure America (CSA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to strengthen U.S. national security by educating on the inextricable link between U.S. energy security, national security, and diplomacy.