US Claims Venezuela Will Transfer Billions of Dollars’ Worth of Oil After Regime Change
US President Donald Trump has announced that Venezuela will transfer tens of millions of barrels of crude oil to the United States, just days after American forces removed the country’s long-time leader, Nicolás Maduro, in a dramatic weekend operation that installed an interim, US-backed administration in Caracas.
Speaking on Tuesday, Trump said between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil would be shipped to American ports. He described the crude as “high-quality” and previously sanctioned, adding that the proceeds — estimated by analysts at over $2 billion based on current prices — would be placed under his direct authority.
No official confirmation has come from the Venezuelan government, and it remains unclear whether interim president Delcy Rodríguez has agreed to the arrangement or how the transfer would be executed under international law.
If carried out, the move would signal the first concrete economic concession from the new leadership following Washington’s intervention, which saw Maduro and his wife taken to the United States to face drug-related charges.
Since the operation, Trump has stated repeatedly that the United States will oversee Venezuela’s transition and that American companies will take a central role in managing the country’s oil sector, which holds the world’s largest proven crude reserves.
Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president and energy minister under Maduro, has pledged to cooperate with Washington but has also sought to project authority at home. On Tuesday she insisted that Venezuela remains sovereign, declaring that “no foreign agent is governing the country.”
At the same time, Trump warned that the interim leadership would face “serious consequences” if it failed to comply with US demands, including loosening ties with countries such as China, Russia, Iran and Cuba.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been instructed to begin preparations for the oil transfer, according to Trump.
Uncertain transition
Analysts say Rodríguez is walking a political tightrope, needing to satisfy US expectations while retaining the backing of influential security officials who remain loyal to the old order. She has appeared publicly alongside Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López, both considered powerbrokers within the military establishment.
The streets of Caracas have seen a heavy security presence since the weekend, with pro-Maduro rallies organised by Cabello calling for the former president’s release.
Venezuela has not released a full account of casualties from the US operation, though the military has confirmed the deaths of 23 service members, including several senior officers. Cuba also reported losses among personnel previously assigned to Maduro’s protection detail. The attorney general has spoken of “dozens” of civilian and military fatalities, and Rodríguez has declared a week of national mourning.
Opposition doubts
Washington has shown little interest in handing power to Venezuela’s democratic opposition, widely believed to have won the last elections. Opposition figure María Corina Machado criticised Rodríguez in a US television interview, saying she could not be trusted by international investors due to her past alliances.
Meanwhile, journalists’ groups reported that 16 media workers were detained briefly on Monday before being released, raising concerns about continued restrictions on press freedom.
Under Venezuela’s constitution, once Maduro is formally declared absent — a process that could take up to six months — fresh presidential elections are required within 30 days, leaving the country facing another period of political uncertainty.
