WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, that Venezuelan authorities “will be turning over” 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, with proceeds to be “used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.”
The oil will be sold at market price, and the revenue will be controlled by Trump in his capacity as U.S. president, he said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump said the oil will be shipped directly to unloading docks in the United States, adding that U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been assigned to execute the plan.
The remarks came days after U.S. forces launched a military strike against Venezuela on Saturday and forcibly seized its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Venezuelan soil.
The U.S. administration has faced widespread criticism and protests following the large-scale military strike, which many view as an unlawful action driven primarily by a desire to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Referring to “oil” about 20 times during a press conference Saturday after the military operation, Trump told NBC News on Monday that Washington may subsidize U.S. oil companies to rebuild Venezuela’s energy infrastructure. / Xinhua