Decisive US action stabilizes Venezuela, crushes narco-regime remnants, strengthens allies, and secures energy markets worldwide.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela’s interim authorities will hand over billions of dollars’ worth of sanctioned crude oil to the United States following the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Washington plans to sell between 30 and 50 million barrels at prevailing market prices, with proceeds personally overseen by Trump to ensure they serve both Venezuelan recovery efforts and American interests.
Trump ordered immediate execution of the plan, directing that the oil be transported straight to U.S. unloading docks. The move follows weeks of pressure that left Venezuelan exports stranded, as shipments intended for Asia piled up in ports and offshore storage.
Interim president Delcy Rodríguez faces the challenge of restoring basic stability while complying with U.S. demands aimed at dismantling the remnants of the narco-state apparatus. Analysts say releasing this volume of heavy, sour crude into the American system could briefly reshape refinery sourcing along the Gulf Coast, where facilities are equipped to handle such grades.
Trump declined to set a firm sales timeline but emphasized that elections will not proceed until the country is stabilized. He said rebuilding Venezuela’s shattered energy infrastructure could be completed in under eighteen months, with oil companies fronting the investment and recovering costs through revenue mechanisms.
Rejecting claims of war, Trump framed the operation as a campaign against drug networks and criminal pipelines rather than the Venezuelan people. The announcement followed Maduro’s court appearance in New York on charges tied to narcotics trafficking, which he denied while insisting on his legitimacy.
