The former President of the United States, Donald Trump, said on January 6th, 2026, that the country of Venezuela would be giving the United States 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil as the result of recent actions taken by American forces to assist in the country’s stabilisation. The oil price will be that of the open market, and U.S. President Donald Trump will have control over the proceeds from the sale. According to Trump, those proceeds are meant to assist both Venezuelans and Americans.
In a statement released via social media, Trump indicated that the arrangement would be transparent and would eliminate the possibility of corruption, adding that previous administrations of Venezuela had taken advantage of their country’s wealth in natural resources (oil). This announcement reflects an escalation of the U.S. government’s involvement in Venezuela’s political and energy sectors.
Maduro Captured in U.S. Military Operation
On January 3, the U.S. military carried out an exceptional mission in which it captured and extradited apparent dictator Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela to New York City (NYC). Maduro was brought before a NYC federal court on January 5, 2023, and entered a plea of “not guilty” regarding various years-long U.S. federal drug trafficking warrants against him.
Delcy Rodríguez, the previous Vice President of Venezuela, took over Maduro’s position and became the interim President of Venezuela when he was removed. Rodríguez condemned the U.S. military’s operation as an infringement on international law, while Washington has portrayed the mission as a critical first step to eliminating narco-trafficking networks and restoring the country’s democratic governments.
Trump Claims Venezuela “Stole” American Oil Industry
Following Maduro’s capture, Trump made multiple comments asserting that Venezuela’s national oil industry was founded on American know-how, talent, and investment and had been taken forcibly from the United States by the socialism introduced by Chávez. “Venezuela’s oil industry was developed by American talent and drive and skill,” said Trump. “They took it away from us through force, which was likely the largest theft of American assets or property in the history of the United States.” International legal experts in energy disagree with Trump, stating that while it was a controversial nationalisation process, it was done so under the authority of the sovereign and included compensation structures; however, most U.S. companies later sought to challenge this.
How the Oil Will Be Transported to the United States
President Trump explained that they plan to put oil into storage tankers and send them straight to our docks regardless of any foreign buyers. Chris Wright, the US Energy Secretary, is working with senior oil executives in Miami on logistics for this operation. Secretary Wright believes that the first shipments of oil may occur soon since most of the oil is currently stored, and there is no immediate need to produce more oil. According to administration officials, transferring oil to domestic markets will create stability in the global oil market and provide immediate revenue for the government.
The Future of Venezuelan Oil Production
Donald Trump mentioned to NBC that there are possibilities for the revival of Venezuelan oil production within an 18-month time frame. This would be contingent upon a large amount of money being invested into the operation. He also stated that he believed U.S. oil companies might return to Venezuela, but the federal government would likely reimburse the companies for any investments they made into building and maintaining the infrastructure. “A large amount of money has to be invested,” Trump stated. “Oil companies will spend it and then be reimbursed through us or through their revenues.” At present, Chevron is the only major U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela, as most other companies left the country after the Venezuelan government nationalised the oil industry. If a major revival is to occur, it will require extensive refurbishment of the dilapidated and outdated refiners, pipelines, and export terminals.
Global and Regional Implications
Venezuela contains the largest verified amount of oil in the world, so the U.S. move is geopolitically important. Analysts believe the oil transfer will change the distribution of energy around the world, especially for China, which has purchased a large quantity of oil from Venezuela in recent years.
The action taken has brought condemnation from international politicians and human rights advocates. They claim that taking control of a foreign country’s natural resources creates an undesirable model for other countries and could lead to future conflicts between nations. However, some advocates in the U.S. believe this action is beneficial to both the Venezuelan government and its citizens because it decreases corruption and ensures that the profits from Venezuela’s oil do not go to criminals.
What Comes Next
The Energy Secretary, Wright, is monitoring all logistics of the agreement and negotiations with oil corporations and laying the ground for both processes to coincide with one another. In addition to this, worldwide financial markets, as well as international political decision-makers, are closely observing this unique situation; how things ultimately turn out will likely affect not just the economic viability of Venezuela but also potentially the direction that the USA’s energy diplomacy in Latin America takes.