I think it is just that Trump doesn't want to nation building, for obvious reason. If he made a deal with current Venezuela leader then it makes great sense to preserve the current power structure as long as they give him what he wants, namely the rights to Venezuelan oil fields and kick out Chinese investments.
I would guess even Maduro himself was willing to make such a deal, but Trump and Rubio probably had too much of a hate boner on the man, as you said these guys are petty as fuck.
In the long run I doubt they'll reap the benefit they imagined. Global oil price is on downward trend and Venezuelan oil is not the best quality stuff to begin with. Trump is just fixated on oil because he is a fucking dinosaur, renewable energy probably sounds gay to him.
This is just a desperate thief looking for easy target and Venezuela happens to be very easy. It doesn't stop the brainless MAGA proclaiming "Unipolar world is back hur dur" though. As if it is a great military achievement to extract a person when you've made a deal with the incumbent leaders LMAO