White House spox: 31 million barrels of Venezuelan oil en route to US For resale

Thirty-one million barrels of oil are being shipped from Venezuela to the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News.

“Thirty-one million barrels of oil are now making their way to the United States to be sold. And that money is going into an account that is controlled by the United States government,” Caliber.Az quotes Leavitt as saying.

On January 8, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States intends to remain the “political overseer of Venezuela” for years to come. He added that restoring the country’s “neglected” oil sector could take several years.

The announcement follows the January 3, 2026, U.S. military raid on Caracas, which resulted in the capture and extradition of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to face U.S. federal charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offences. Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court on January 5–6. Interim leadership under Delcy Rodríguez (former vice president, now acting president) has cooperated amid U.S. pressure, including a maritime blockade on Venezuelan oil exports imposed in mid-December 2025.

By Khagan Isayev