Trump Claims Venezuela to Transfer Billions in Oil to the US Amid Leadership Change

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Venezuela will hand over tens of millions of barrels of oil to the United States, just days after a US raid captured President Nicolas Maduro, installing a more US-friendly leader, interim president Delcy Rodriguez.

Trump said 30–50 million barrels of “high-quality, sanctioned” Venezuelan crude would be shipped to US ports, with potential revenue exceeding $2 billion under his personal control at current market prices.

“Trump tasked Energy Secretary Chris Wright with immediately executing the planned transfer and sale of the 30–50 million barrels,” the report noted.

However, it remains unclear whether Rodriguez has agreed to the transfer, how it would be implemented, or the legal basis for such an arrangement. Venezuelan authorities have not commented.

Experts note that this would mark the first major sign of cooperation between Venezuela’s new leadership and the United States following the extraordinary removal of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by US forces last Saturday.

Since the raid, Trump has asserted that the US will “run” Venezuela, controlling its oil—the largest proven reserves globally—and has warned that Rodriguez could pay “a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she fails to comply with US demands to cede control over oil and reduce ties with Cuba, China, Iran, and Russia.

Rodriguez, however, has sought to assert Venezuelan sovereignty:

“The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no-one else,” she said Tuesday. “There is no foreign agent governing Venezuela.”

Meanwhile, tensions remain high as the military and security forces maintain a visible presence. Official reports cite at least 23 Venezuelan troops and 32 Cuban military personnel killed during the US operation, with civilian casualties also reported. Rodriguez declared seven days of mourning for those killed, stating:

“We are a people that does not surrender, we are a people that does not give up… paying tribute to the martyrs of the US attacks.”

The White House has dismissed the possibility that Venezuela’s democratic opposition—believed to have won last year’s elections—will take power. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado warned Rodriguez could not be trusted as she remains aligned with Russia, China, and Iran.

Amid ongoing unrest, at least 16 journalists and media workers were briefly detained, highlighting the continued presence of a repressive security apparatus.

Trump also reiterated allegations against Maduro, calling him “a violent guy” responsible for millions of deaths, and claimed Rodriguez’s administration is “closing up” a torture chamber in Caracas. According to the Venezuelan constitution, elections must be held within 30 days after Maduro is formally declared absent, which could occur six months from now.

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