diff --git a/examples/uploader/_localrepo.py b/examples/uploader/_localrepo.py
index edae65821b..c4d746a34d 100644
--- a/examples/uploader/_localrepo.py
+++ b/examples/uploader/_localrepo.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 import os
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 
-import requests
 from securesystemslib.signer import CryptoSigner, Signer
+from urllib3 import request
 
 from tuf.api.exceptions import RepositoryError
 from tuf.api.metadata import Metadata, MetaFile, TargetFile, Targets
@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ def close(self, role_name: str, md: Metadata) -> None:
 
         # Upload using "api/role"
         uri = f"{self.base_url}/api/role/{role_name}"
-        r = requests.post(uri, data=md.to_bytes(JSONSerializer()), timeout=5)
-        r.raise_for_status()
+        r = request("POST", uri, body=md.to_bytes(JSONSerializer()), timeout=5)
+        if r.status != 200:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP error {r.status}")
 
     def add_target(self, role: str, targetpath: str) -> bool:
         """Add target to roles metadata and submit new metadata version"""
@@ -124,8 +125,8 @@ def add_delegation(self, role: str) -> bool:
 
         data = {signer.public_key.keyid: signer.public_key.to_dict()}
         url = f"{self.base_url}/api/delegation/{role}"
-        r = requests.post(url, data=json.dumps(data), timeout=5)
-        if r.status_code != 200:
+        r = request("POST", url, body=json.dumps(data), timeout=5)
+        if r.status != 200:
             print(f"delegation failed with {r}")
             return False
 
diff --git a/verify_release b/verify_release
index 549b7bab84..f6ae8330f0 100755
--- a/verify_release
+++ b/verify_release
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ on GitHub and PyPI match the built release artifacts.
 """
 
 import argparse
-import json
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -20,10 +19,10 @@ from typing import Optional
 
 try:
     import build as _  # type: ignore[import-not-found] # noqa: F401
-    import requests
+    from urllib3 import request
 except ImportError:
-    print("Error: verify_release requires modules 'requests' and 'build':")
-    print("    pip install requests build")
+    print("Error: verify_release requires modules 'urllib3' and 'build':")
+    print("    pip install urllib3 build")
     sys.exit(1)
 
 # Project variables
@@ -75,9 +74,7 @@ def get_git_version() -> str:
 def get_github_version() -> str:
     """Return version string of latest GitHub release"""
     release_json = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{GITHUB_ORG}/{GITHUB_PROJECT}/releases/latest"
-    releases = json.loads(
-        requests.get(release_json, timeout=HTTP_TIMEOUT).content
-    )
+    releases = request("GET", release_json, timeout=HTTP_TIMEOUT).json()
     return releases["tag_name"][1:]
 
 
@@ -106,9 +103,11 @@ def verify_github_release(version: str, compare_dir: str) -> bool:
     with TemporaryDirectory() as github_dir:
         for filename in [tar, wheel]:
             url = f"{base_url}/v{version}/{filename}"
-            response = requests.get(url, stream=True, timeout=HTTP_TIMEOUT)
+            response = request(
+                "GET", url, preload_content=False, timeout=HTTP_TIMEOUT
+            )
             with open(os.path.join(github_dir, filename), "wb") as f:
-                for data in response.iter_content():
+                for data in response.stream():
                     f.write(data)
 
         return cmp(