U.S. President Donald Trump holds a property league arsenic Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks astatine him pursuing a U.S. onslaught connected Venezuela wherever President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, from Trump's Mar-a-Lago nine successful Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
President Donald Trump connected Saturday said U.S. lipid companies volition put billions of dollars successful Venezuela's vigor assemblage aft the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro.
"We're going to person our precise ample United States lipid companies — the biggest anyplace successful the satellite — spell in, walk billions of dollars, hole the severely breached infrastructure, the lipid infrastructure," Trump said successful a property conference from his Mar-a-Lago residence successful Palm Beach, Florida.
"Let's commencement making wealth for the country," Trump said.
U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, successful a large-scale attack connected the South American federation overnight. They have been indicted connected drug-trafficking charges successful the Southern District of New York.
Trump said the U.S. volition "run the country until specified clip arsenic we tin bash a safe, due and judicious transition." The president said the U.S. volition temporarily tally Venezuela "with a group," without providing details.
A crude lipid tanker is anchored connected Lake Maracaibo adjacent Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, connected December 18, 2025.
Alejandro Paredes | Afp | Getty Images
The overthrow of Maduro comes aft a months-long U.S. subject buildup successful the Caribbean. Trump said the embargo helium imposed connected Venezuelan lipid "remains successful afloat effect."
The president said lipid companies volition wage straight for the outgo of rebuilding Venezuela's crude infrastructure. "They volition beryllium reimbursed for what they're doing," Trump said.
"We're going to get the lipid flowing the mode it should be," helium said. "We'll beryllium selling ample amounts of lipid to different countries, galore of whom are utilizing it now, but I would accidental galore much volition come," helium said.
Venezuela, a founding subordinate of OPEC, sits connected the largest lipid reserves successful the world. It nationalized the manufacture successful 1976, seizing assets from Exxon Mobil, Shell and Chevron, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.
A motorcycle rider passes successful beforehand of an oil-themed mural successful Caracas, Venezuela connected September 01, 2022.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Venezuela's accumulation peaked astatine 3.5 cardinal barrels per time successful the precocious 1990s, but has declined importantly since then, said Matt Smith, lipid expert astatine Kpler. The country's existent accumulation stands astatine astir 800,000 barrels per day, according to Kpler data. For the week of Dec. 26, the U.S. produced astir 13.8 cardinal barrels per day.
China and Russia person a beingness successful Venezuela's lipid sector, Lipow said. The Maduro authorities successful November approved a 15-year hold of associated ventures with Russian-linked companies operating fields successful Venezuela, the expert said.
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