The United States government announced a direct intervention into Venezuela's strategic energy sector following a military operation that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The development, disclosed by President Donald Trump via his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, centers on the U.S. securing custodianship over an estimated 30 to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan crude oil. This economic maneuver followed Operation Absolute Resolve, a U.S. military action on January 3, 2026, which led to the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas. Maduro subsequently pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking and related charges in a Manhattan federal court on January 5, 2026.
The volume of oil being transferred to U.S. ports is substantial, equivalent to approximately one to two months of Venezuela's recent output, which has fallen below 1 million barrels per day. This action is intended to divert supplies that were previously directed toward China, which had become Venezuela's principal buyer in recent years. President Trump designated Energy Secretary Chris Wright to oversee the execution of the plan, ensuring the crude is transported directly to American ports. Secretary Wright, confirmed by the Senate on February 3, 2025, is tasked with executing this transfer of assets.
The core assertion of authority is that the revenue from the oil's market-price sale will be controlled directly by President Trump to ensure its allocation benefits the people of both Venezuela and the United States. The institutional players involved in this transaction include the United States government, the Venezuelan interim authorities, and the state-owned energy company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA). Following Maduro's capture, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela's interim president on Monday, January 5, 2026, though she initially condemned the U.S. action as aggression. The United Nations voiced profound alarm, asserting that the U.S. action fundamentally challenged a core tenet of international law.
Venezuela's oil industry has been in a protracted decline, with production falling dramatically from nearly 3 million barrels per day two decades ago due to international sanctions and internal mismanagement of PDVSA. Sanctions, first imposed in 2015 and tightened in late 2025, restricted access to finance, technology, and key export markets, exacerbating structural weaknesses. The control over PDVSA's oil revenues has historically been synonymous with control over state finances, making this assertion of financial authority an extraordinary development following the military removal of the former president.
