Trump Seizes Venezuelan Oil After Capture of Nicolas Maduro

The United States has installed a restrictive energy framework over Venezuela following a special forces raid in Caracas that captured former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation resulted in the deaths of 23 Venezuelan troops and 32 Cuban military personnel. Maduro and Flores were transported to New York to plead not guilty to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges.

Following the raid, Delcy Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president. The Trump administration demanded that Rodríguez expel advisers from China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and partner exclusively with Washington. Under the resulting agreement, the U.S. will manage the marketing of 30 to 50 million barrels of sanctioned crude, with proceeds—estimated between $2 billion and $2.8 billion—deposited into U.S.-controlled accounts. Trump stated these funds must be used exclusively to purchase American-made agricultural products, medicines, and energy equipment.

To enforce compliance, the U.S. implemented a naval blockade and seized two tankers, the Marinera and M/T Sophia. While the U.S. Department of Energy manages the sales, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) officials insisted the transactions remain commercial and at international prices. Interim President Rodríguez publicly denied that any foreign power governs Venezuela, describing the current U.S. relationship as having an unprecedented stain, though she continues to facilitate the oil transfers. China condemned the U.S. actions as intimidation and reportedly retaliated by restricting the purchase of Nvidia H200 AI chips.