MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump claims control of Venezuelan oil: Up to 50 million barrels bound for US

US companies are ready to rebuild the oil infrastructure destroyed under Maduro, White House Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers noted

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Venezuela's interim authorities had agreed to “turn over” between 30 and 50 million barrels of crude oil to the United States.

The deal, valued at approximately US$2 billion, marks the first significant economic outcome of the negotiations between Washington and the transition government led by Delcy Rodríguez following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

“All of our oil companies are ready and willing to make significant investments in Venezuela to rebuild the oil infrastructure that has been destroyed by the illegitimate Maduro regime,” White House Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers also noted.

Trump also explained through Truth Social that the US will maintain strict oversight of the financial proceeds to ensure they are used for the “benefit of the people of Venezuela and the United States.”

“Our very large United States oil companies [are poised to] go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump pointed out. The oil will be sold at current market rates, ending the heavily discounted “sanctioned” pricing previously offered to intermediaries.

The Republican leader also pledged to personally oversee that the resulting funds are not misguided for other ends, thus effectively placing the Venezuelan Treasury under US supervision. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been tasked with bypassing standard logistical delays, using storage vessels currently trapped by the US naval blockade to transport the crude directly to American ports.

The agreement represents a massive geopolitical realignment of Venezuela's energy exports. For over a decade, China has been the primary buyer of Venezuelan crude.

Since mid-December, millions of barrels have remained stagnant in tankers due to the US military blockade. This deal provides a “legal exit” for that oil, rerouting cargoes originally bound for Asian markets to the US Gulf of America Coast.

The White House is scheduled to meet with executives from ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips later this week. Trump signaled that these firms may be “reimbursed” for the cost of resuscitating Venezuela’s infrastructure, which he claims can be “up and running” within 18 months. The prospect of a sudden influx of Venezuelan heavy crude led to an immediate decline in international prices.

Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the US would continue to use the current sanctions regime as “pressure” to ensure the Rodríguez administration maintains “total access” for American energy companies. While Delcy Rodríguez has not issued a public statement on the specific “50 million barrel” figure, the agreement is seen as a survival tactic for the interim government to avoid further military escalation.