US Begins Selling Venezuelan Oil, First Sale Worth $5 Billion

The United States has begun extracting and selling oil from Venezuela just two weeks after launching a military operation in the South American country. The first sale amounted to $5 billion.

This development comes 11 days after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured. On January 3, the US launched a military operation that resulted in Maduro's arrest. Following this, Delsy Rodríguez, who served as Vice President under Maduro, was sworn in as interim president.

Former President Donald Trump stated that the US would manage Venezuela for years and extract oil from its vast reserves. According to New York-based news outlet Semafor, the revenue from oil sales is being deposited into bank accounts controlled by the US government.

A senior administration official revealed that the main account is located in Qatar. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, "President Trump has made a historic energy deal with Venezuela following Maduro's arrest. This will benefit both the American and Venezuelan people."

Another Venezuelan Tanker Seized

According to Reuters, the US has seized another tanker linked to Venezuela. This is part of ongoing efforts to tighten control over Venezuelan oil exports. This is the sixth tanker targeted since the campaign began in mid-December.

The seized tanker, flying the flag of Guyana, was identified by the US Southern Command. "US forces have seized the tanker Veronica in the Caribbean region," the statement read. This action occurred ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.