According to him, the country's “interim authorities” will transfer from 30 to 50 million barrels of “high-quality oil” to the American side.
“It will be sold at market price, and this money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States, to ensure that it is used for the benefit of the people of Venezuela and America,” the head of the White House said.
The raw materials will be transported from Venezuela by tanker to American unloading docks, he noted. The implementation of the plan is entrusted to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Most U.S. refineries were built to process heavy Venezuelan crude and operate significantly more efficiently on Venezuelan feedstock than on U.S. crude, analysts said.
Context
In October 2025, the NYT wrote that Maduro had offered the United States a significant stake in Venezuela's oil fields, as well as a number of other opportunities for American companies, to defuse tensions between the countries. At the same time, Maduro sought to remain in power, the media indicated. In November, he had a conversation with Trump; they, among other things, discussed their possible meeting in the United States, NYT noted.
On the night of January 3, 2026, the United States launched strikes on the capital of Venezuela, Caracas. Maduro declared a national state of emergency and mobilization, saying the US goal was to “seize Venezuela's strategic resources, including its oil and minerals.” On the same day, American special forces detained him and took him and his wife Celia Flores to the United States. They have been charged in connection with drug trafficking and illegal weapons.
