Ending the drugs was a factor, but the major factor was CHINA (and IRAN) gaining access

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CHINA (and IRAN) gaining access

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For sure. Venezuela is a proxy for Russia and China to destabilize the US with drugs like Iran uses Syria and others as their proxy on Israel.

Same game. Different levers. And I have no doubt if left unchecked, China would have established a military presence in Venezuela.

Now we have the levers: Venezuela oil, needed by Iran, Russia, and maybe China.

Don't forget russia's investments. Old news but still relevant.

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Venezuela is entirely reliant upon massive investment from Russia and China.
In fact China owns 49% of Venezuela’s state run PDVSA energy production. A collateral system where Beijing takes oil as payment for prior loans the Maduro regime cannot pay back.

China and Russia are already leveraged to the gills in Venezuela and hold 49% of Citgo as collateral for loans outstanding. China and Russia now need to loan more, directly.
However, China cannot engage in economic commerce with Venezuela or they risk losing access to the U.S. banking system. Therefore all current Chinese aid to Maduro comes in the form of IOUs.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2018/10/24/big-bear-and-big-panda-just-joined-the-discussion-vice-president-mike-pence-reveals-central-american-invasion-horde-is-financed-by-venezuela/

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US $5bn for oil industry

Amongst the announcements was a new US $5 billion loan to boost Venezuela’s oil industry, which has suffered from falling production, international court action, and a wide reaching anti-corruption probe.
The new loan reaffirms China as Venezuela’s main creditor and follows on the heels of a previous pledge of financial assistance by the Chinese Development Bank in July.

Despite rumours of a possible renegotiation of the terms of previous loans – which amount to an outstanding US $20bn of around $60bn received since 2008 – no official announcements have been made as of yet.

As part of the agreements, Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA will cede 9.9 percent of its shares in the mixed Venezuelan-Chinese oil firm SINOVENSA to the Chinese state-owned National Petroleum Consortium (CNPC), which previously owned 40 percent of the company. SINOVENSA produces 130,000 barrels of oil a day in the Orinoco Oil Belt.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14056