Venezuelan Interim Govt. to Hand over "Sanctioned" Oil to U.S.-Trump

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said interim authorities in Venezuela will transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States, with the crude to be sold at market prices and the proceeds placed under U.S. presidential control.

“I am pleased to announce that the 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,” Trump said in a social media post. He said the revenue would be managed by him “to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States”

Trump said he has directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute the plan immediately. The oil will be loaded onto storage ships and transported directly to U.S. unloading docks.

The announcement follows intensified U.S. military enforcement against Venezuelan oil exports. As of early January 2026, the U.S. has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast and is pursuing a third under Operation Southern Spear, a naval operation aimed at enforcing sanctions and disrupting oil shipments linked to the Maduro government.

The first seizure occurred on December 10, 2025, when the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the tanker Skipper, previously known as Adisa and Toyo, while it was en route to China. The vessel had earlier offloaded a portion of its cargo to Neptune 6, which was bound for Cuba.

A second tanker, the Centuries, also known as Mary 16, was boarded on December 20, 2025. The Panama-flagged vessel was carrying 1.8 million barrels of crude oil explicitly destined for China. The cargo was reportedly purchased by Satau Tijana Oil Trading, an intermediary involved in supplying independent Chinese refiners. Venezuela accused the U.S. of international piracy, noting that the vessel was not on the U.S. sanctions list at the time of the seizure.

U.S. forces are now said to be pursuing a third tanker, previously named Bella 1 and now Marinera, which has transported Venezuelan oil to China in the past.

As per reports, around 80% of unsanctioned Venezuelan oil exports are shipped to China, often routed through Malaysia using shadow fleet tactics, including false vessel identities and disabled tracking systems. Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, at least a dozen additional tankers reportedly fled Venezuelan ports using deceptive measures to evade the U.S. blockade.