The United States has announced its intention to maintain control over Venezuela’s oil industry for an unspecified period, without providing a specific timeline for its operations. Energy secretary Chris Wright stated that the US plans to retain significant oversight over Venezuela’s oil production and sales indefinitely.
During a Goldman Sachs energy conference near Miami, Mr. Wright affirmed that the US would continue to sell Venezuela’s oil output in the global marketplace. This declaration followed President Donald Trump’s statement that Venezuela would transfer tens of millions of barrels of oil to the United States.
The White House is set to convene a meeting with American oil company executives to discuss Venezuela, as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to encourage the country to open up its struggling oil sector to US investment. Representatives from Exxon, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips are expected to participate in the meeting.
In response to a US military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and the deaths of 24 Venezuelan security officers, acting president Delcy Rodriguez rebuffed Trump’s warnings. She emphasized the need for Venezuela to align with US interests, including granting access to American energy firms.
Furthermore, the US intercepted a Venezuela-associated oil tanker named Marinera, previously known as Bella-1, as it navigated through British waters. The vessel had eluded Trump’s naval blockade of Venezuela established in December. US officials boarded the tanker without encountering any gunfire, supported by American armed forces.
The US European Command confirmed that the seizure of the tanker in the North Atlantic was carried out under a warrant issued by a US federal court. The action aligns with President Trump’s Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels posing a threat to Western Hemisphere security.
Pete Hegseth, the US war secretary, underscored the continued enforcement of the blockade on illicit Venezuelan oil globally through a social media post on X.
