Trump announces Venezuela will hand over up to 50 million barrels of oil to the US

The interim government of Venezuela will hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of “high quality, sanctioned oil” to the United States following the military operation in the country and the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday. In a post published on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the oil “will be sold at its market price” and the earnings will be controlled by him “to ensure” the money “is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.” The U.S. president added that the oil will be “brought directly” in storage ships to unloading docks in the United States. Oil currently sells for around US$56 a barrel, meaning the deal announced by Trump could be worth up to US$2.8 billion.  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. uses an average of around 20 million barrels of oil per day, so Venezuela’s oil transfer would provide up to two and a half days’ worth of supply. The announcement comes after Trump said on Saturday, after capturing Maduro, that Washington will be “running” Venezuela and taking control of its massive oil reserves, recruiting U.S. companies to make billion-dollar investments in the local oil industry.  🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/08qI7MvCpk— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 7, 2026 On Saturday the U.S. government carried out a widespread military operation in Caracas, including the bombing of various military bases, to capture Maduro in his home and take him to New York for trial along with his wife Cilia Flores over drug-trafficking charges. They both had their first hearing on Monday. Chevron According to the Bloomberg and EFE news agencies, on Tuesday U.S. oil company Chevron sent 11 ships to the Venezuelan ports of José and Bajo Grande to load up crude. Chevron — the only U.S. company still operating in Venezuela — is currently also the only firm that holds a license to export Venezuelan oil, as the U.S. has been imposing what it calls a “quarantine” or blockade over Venezuela’s oil tankers since mid-December, preventing the country from exporting its main production. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy informed on Wednesday that it has seized a Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuelan oil in the North Atlantic. Several ships that were going to Venezuela have reportedly had to change course after the military intervention intensified in recent weeks. Since September, dozens of boats — that according to the U.S. were carrying drugs — have been bombed by the North American country. Jail closure In a press conference on Tuesday, Trump also said the Venezuelan government will shut down a “torture chamber” located in Caracas, which could refer to the detention center known as El Helicoide. “They have a torture chamber in the middle of Caracas that they’re closing up,” Trump said, without giving further details. He added that Maduro is “a violent guy.” El Helicoide, a run-down building originally meant to be a big mall in the 1950s, is currently ran by the Venezuelan police and intelligence services, and has been used as a detention and, reportedly, torture center of political prisoners. While there are little certainties of what goes on in it, it is one of the most feared places in Venezuela. You may also be interested in: Venezuela orders that supporters of US military operation be arrested