Trump accuses Venezuela and Maduro of “stealing” U.S. oil worth $17 trillion +, vows to take it back
The post Trump accuses Venezuela and Maduro of “stealing” U.S. oil worth $17 trillion +, vows to take it back appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the removal of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro will unlock the country’s $17.3 trillion oil reserve and place it under U.S. control, according to a press conference held hours after U.S. forces captured Maduro during an early-morning operation in Caracas. “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country,” Trump told reporters. “They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been.” The operation that led to Maduro’s capture took place early Saturday and included U.S. armed forces and law enforcement striking multiple locations in Caracas. Trump said the U.S. will temporarily run Venezuela, though he did not say who would manage the country or how long that control would last. Trump lays out oil takeover plan after Caracas operation Right now, Venezuela holds the largest oil reserves in the world, estimated at about 300 billion barrels, which means it’s above Saudi Arabia, the literal largest oil producer of the OPEC itself. At his press conference, Trump said the U.S. built the oil industry decades ago and accused the prior government of theft. “We built Venezuela’s oil industry with American talent, drive, skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us,” he said. “This constituted one of the largest thefts of American property in the history of our country.” Trump confirmed that the U.S. oil embargo on Venezuela is active. “The embargo is in full effect,” he said, repeating the accusation again directly:- “They stole our oil. They took it over like it was nothing.” When asked how U.S. control of oil supply could affect ties with China, Russia, and Iran, Trump said oil sales will…
Filed under: News - @ January 4, 2026 2:24 am