Media: White House conditions Venezuela oil output on cutting ties with foreign allies

The Trump administration has informed Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, that Caracas will not be permitted to increase oil production unless it meets a set of conditions laid out by the White House, according to three individuals familiar with the administration’s approach.

Sources said the first requirement is that Venezuela expel China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and cut all economic ties with those governments. The second condition is that Venezuela must agree to work exclusively with the United States on oil production and prioritise the U.S. when selling heavy crude.

One of the individuals noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during a closed briefing on January 5 that Washington believes it can pressure Venezuela because the country’s oil tankers are already full. Rubio also informed lawmakers that U.S. assessments indicate the Venezuelan government could face financial collapse within a matter of weeks if it cannot sell its oil reserves.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker confirmed that the U.S. strategy is built around controlling Venezuela’s oil shipments. He also said he does not believe the plan will require deploying American forces.

"The government does intend to control the oil, taking charge of the ships, the tankers, and none of them are going to go to Havana," Wicker said. "And until they start moving -- we hope to the open market -- there are no more tankers to fill, because they're totally full."

According to a senior administration official, "The President is speaking about exerting maximum leverage with the remaining elements in Venezuela and ensuring they cooperate with the United States by halting illegal migration, stopping drug flows, revitalising oil infrastructure, and doing what is right for the Venezuelan people."

Wicker also told ABC News that Venezuela lacks available tankers to transport additional crude.

"The information I have is that Venezuela cannot pump any more crude oil because there's no place to put it and there's no place to send it. The tankers are full and waiting to move to an appropriate place, hopefully to be sold on the open market other than to be [given] free to China," Wicker said.

On the evening of January 6, Trump wrote that the “interim authorities” in Venezuela would transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States to be sold at market price. He added that he would control those revenues "to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!"

Wicker reiterated that the administration’s plan does not appear to involve the use of U.S. troops.

"This is not a matter of boots on the ground ... That is just not part of the plan," he said.

In an online post last month, Trump declared that he had ordered a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”

When questioned the next day by reporters about the meaning of that directive, Trump responded, "it's just a blockade. Not going to let anybody going through that shouldn't be going through."