President Donald Trump reportedly said Saturday that the United States will play a major role in Venezuela’s oil industry following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, signaling a dramatic shift in the future of one of the world’s most oil-rich nations.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump was asked about what lies ahead for Venezuela’s energy sector now that Maduro is no longer in power. The president responded bluntly, saying the United States would be “very strongly involved” in the country’s oil industry.
“Well, I see that we’re going to be very strongly involved in it,” Trump said. He pointed to the strength of American energy companies, adding, “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”
While Trump did not provide specific details about what that involvement would look like during the television interview, his remarks suggested a hands-on approach that would put U.S. energy interests at the center of Venezuela’s oil future after years of mismanagement and decline under the Maduro regime.
Later in the day, Trump was pressed further on the issue during a press conference, where he was asked about the interests of foreign powers such as China, Russia and Iran in Venezuela’s oil sector. Trump said the United States would be selling oil to those countries, indicating that American involvement could extend beyond domestic companies operating inside Venezuela.
“We’ll be selling oil, probably in much larger doses, because they couldn’t produce very much because their infrastructure was so bad,” Trump said, referring to the state of Venezuela’s oil facilities after years of deterioration. He added that the United States would be selling large amounts of oil to other countries as well, noting that many already rely on oil supplies but that more buyers could emerge.
“We’ll be selling large amounts of oil to other countries, many of whom are using it now, but I would say many more will come,” Trump said. As with his earlier comments, he did not elaborate on the mechanics of how those sales or operations would be structured.
Venezuela’s oil reserves make it a major prize on the global energy stage. The country holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world. As of 2023, Venezuela was estimated to sit on roughly 303 billion barrels of oil, representing about 17 percent of total global reserves. Despite that vast wealth, years of poor infrastructure, sanctions and government control severely limited the country’s production and export capacity.
Even under U.S. sanctions, some American companies have maintained a presence in Venezuela. Chevron has continued to operate in the country and has been able to export oil under specific authorizations, highlighting that U.S. involvement in Venezuela’s energy sector is not entirely new.
Trump’s comments come at a moment of major geopolitical change for the region, with the removal of Maduro opening questions about who will control Venezuela’s resources and how quickly production could recover. While the president has not yet outlined a detailed plan, his remarks made clear that the United States intends to be a dominant player.
By emphasizing American oil companies and global energy sales, Trump framed U.S. involvement as both an economic opportunity and a strategic move following years in which adversarial nations sought influence in Venezuela. With the world watching closely, Trump’s statements signal that control over Venezuela’s vast oil wealth will be a central issue in the next phase of U.S. policy toward the country.
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