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U.S. to get millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil, Trump says
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. will get millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela after the U.S. carried out a military operation over the weekend and captured then-President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that "Interim Authorities" in Venezuela would be "turning over" 30 million to 50 million barrels of "High Quality" oil to the United States at its market price.
What they're saying:
"I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately," Trump said on Truth Social. "It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States."
Trump said the money would be controlled by him as president, but it would be used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the U.S.
A man holds a portrait of Nicolas Maduro during a march in his support and his wife Cilia Flores after their capture by U.S. forces, on Jan. 6, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
Venezuelan president captured
The backstory:
At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, officials said earlier on Tuesday.
Trump has said his administration will now "run" Venezuela policy and is pressing the country’s leaders to open its vast oil reserves to American energy companies.
The other side:
Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s acting president, pushed back on Trump’s earlier statements, stating her destiny can only be determined by God.
"Personally, to those who threaten me," Rodriguez said in an address before government agricultural and industrial sector officials. "My destiny is not determined by them, but by God.
In addition to the Venezuelan security officials, Cuba’s government had previously confirmed that 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela were killed in the raid. The Cuban government says the personnel killed belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, the country’s two main security agencies.
Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty
Dig deeper:
Maduro faces narco-terrorism charges that the Trump administration used to justify removing him from power.
Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from San Jose.