President Donald Trump said Tuesday that what he described as Venezuela’s “Interim Authorities” would sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of high-quality crude oil to the United States at prevailing market prices, signaling a dramatic escalation of U.S. involvement in the oil-rich South American nation following a deadly military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to immediately carry out the plan, adding that the oil would be transported by storage vessels directly to U.S. unloading docks. Trump said proceeds from the sale would be under presidential control but claimed the funds would ultimately benefit both Venezuelans and Americans.
The announcement came hours after Venezuelan officials disclosed that at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed during a late-night U.S. military raid over the weekend that resulted in Maduro’s capture and transfer to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges.
Venezuela Pushes Back as Death Toll Mounts
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, confirmed the death toll and sharply criticized Trump’s threats and policy direction, accusing Washington of attempting to dictate Venezuela’s future while seeking access to its vast oil reserves.
“My destiny is not determined by those who threaten me, but by God,” Rodríguez said during remarks to government agricultural and industrial leaders.
Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab said “dozens” of Venezuelan officers and civilians were killed during the operation in Caracas and announced prosecutors would open an investigation into what he described as a possible war crime, though he did not specify nationalities among the casualties.
Cuba’s government has also confirmed that 32 Cuban military and police personnel stationed in Venezuela were killed in the raid. The Cuban government said the dead belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.
The Pentagon said seven U.S. service members were injured during the operation. Five have since returned to duty, while two remain under medical care for gunshot and shrapnel wounds, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss operational details publicly.
Trump Defends Operation, Dismisses Democratic Criticism
Trump on Tuesday defended the operation, pushing back against Democratic criticism and noting that previous U.S. administrations, including that of Joe Biden, had also sought Maduro’s arrest on narcotics charges.
Speaking at a House Republican retreat in Washington, Trump said critics failed to acknowledge what he described as a successful mission, despite bipartisan agreement that Maduro was not Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Maduro was indicted in the United States in 2020 on charges related to a long-running narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking conspiracy. The Trump administration increased the U.S. reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million last August.
Public Opinion Divided in the U.S.
A poll conducted by The Washington Post and SSRS over the weekend found Americans sharply divided over the military action. About 40% approved of deploying U.S. forces to capture Maduro, while a similar percentage opposed the move. Roughly 20% said they were unsure.
Nearly 45% of respondents opposed the United States taking control of Venezuela or installing a new government, with about 90% saying Venezuelans should decide their own leadership.
Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges during his initial appearance in a U.S. courtroom on Monday. U.S. officials said he and his wife were captured early Saturday at a compound guarded by Cuban personnel.
Regional and Global Fallout
The operation has heightened global concern that Washington is entering a more aggressive phase of foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. In recent days, Trump has renewed calls for U.S. control of Greenland, threatened military action against Colombia over drug trafficking, and warned Cuba’s communist leadership it is “in a lot of trouble.”
Colombia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Rosa Villavicencio said Tuesday that Bogota would lodge a formal complaint with U.S. diplomats following Trump’s remarks describing Colombia’s president as a “sick man” involved in cocaine trafficking. Villavicencio said Colombia remains committed to cooperation with Washington in combating drugs.
Meanwhile, leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom joined Denmark in reaffirming Greenland’s sovereignty, emphasizing that decisions about the territory belong solely to Denmark and the people of Greenland.
AP
