President Donald Trump has announced that interim authorities in Venezuela will transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States following a recent operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Trump said the “sanctioned oil” will be sold at market value, with the proceeds controlled by the U.S. government to benefit both Venezuelans and Americans. He added that Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been directed to implement the plan immediately, with the oil transported by storage ships directly to U.S. docks.
The announcement comes a day after Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice president, was sworn in as interim president, while Maduro faces drug-trafficking and weapons charges in the U.S. Trump also noted that having Venezuela as an oil producer helps keep global oil prices down.
