President Donald Trump said late Tuesday that Venezuela’s interim leadership would turn over as many as 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States to be sold at market price, with the proceeds controlled by his administration. The claim came days after a U.S. military attack on Venezuela that killed at least 75 people and amid growing criticism that the operation represents an unlawful attempt to seize the country’s natural resources.
Trump announced the plan on social media, asserting that the oil could generate as much as $3 billion once sold. He did not explain how the United States would legally assume control over the oil or its revenue, nor did he address how the plan would comply with domestic or international law.
“Just straight-up piracy and extortion from the U.S. president,” journalist Mehdi Hasan wrote in response.
The announcement followed a series of actions by the Trump administration that have significantly escalated tensions with Venezuela. Ahead of the military attack over the weekend, the administration imposed a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers approaching or leaving the country, a move that further restricted Venezuela’s ability to export crude and pushed it closer to economic collapse.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Trump’s decision to “begin targeting tankers carrying Venezuelan crude to Asian markets had paralyzed the state oil company’s exports.”
“To keep the wells pumping, the state oil company, known as PDVSA, had been redirecting crude oil into storage tanks and turning tankers idling in ports into floating storage facilities,” the Times reported.
Trump said the oil would be physically removed from Venezuela and transported to the United States. In his social media post, he wrote that the tens of millions of barrels of oil “will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States.”
“I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately,” Trump added.
It remains unclear whether Venezuela’s interim leadership has agreed to Trump’s plan. Delcy Rodríguez, identified as Venezuela’s acting president and an ally of President Nicolás Maduro, has not publicly confirmed any such arrangement. Trump announced the plan as his administration was reportedly working to entice U.S. oil companies to participate in efforts to exploit Venezuela’s oil reserves.
According to ABC News, the Trump administration is also pushing Venezuela’s leadership to meet a series of U.S. demands before it can resume pumping more oil. Those demands reportedly include severing economic ties with multiple countries.
According to ABC, the administration has instructed Venezuela to “kick out China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and sever economic ties.”
“Second, Venezuela must agree to partner exclusively with the U.S. on oil production and favor America when selling heavy crude oil,” ABC added, citing unnamed sources.
The outlet also reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in a private briefing that the administration believes it can force Venezuela’s compliance because the country’s existing oil tankers are already full.
“According to one person, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in a private briefing on Monday that he believes the US can force Venezuela’s hand because its existing oil tankers are full,” ABC reported. Rubio also told lawmakers that the U.S. estimates Caracas has only a couple of weeks before it becomes financially insolvent without the sale of its oil reserves.
Trump has also illegally threatened further attacks on Venezuela and additional targeting of its political leadership if the country does not comply with U.S. demands.
The escalation has drawn sharp criticism from domestic political figures, including Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine, a military veteran who has publicly opposed both the attack and lawmakers who supported it.
Platner, who served four infantry tours in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps before becoming an oyster farmer and harbormaster, joined protesters in Portland on Saturday and condemned the administration’s actions.
“This is not foreign policy. This is gangsterism on an international scale,” Platner said to the crowd. “We must not be fooled by the childish lies being used to justify this illegal aggression. Be wary of the establishment voices in media and in politics who, over the next few weeks, will work tirelessly to manufacture consent, even when they sound like they are opposed.”
Platner warned against rhetoric that frames the operation as flawed but necessary.
“Keep an ear out for ‘this operation is bad, but’ followed by words about democracy, dictatorship, and international law,” he said. “If those were justifications for invasion and abduction, we’d have invaded many of our allies a long time ago.”
“Those voices are doing the work of empire, and we must be vigilant for their duplicitousness,” he continued.
Platner also criticized Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has affirmed her support for the U.S. operation despite acknowledging that Congress should have been informed earlier.
After the attack, Collins said she was “personally briefed” by Rubio and stated that Maduro is “a narco-terrorist and international drug trafficker… who should stand trial” in the United States.
Platner responded to Collins on social media, writing, “As someone who works with many invertebrates, I know a spineless response when I see one…”
In recent months, both GOP controlled chambers of Congress have failed to pass war powers resolutions that would have blocked Trump’s military actions, including strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats and the broader operation in Venezuela. In both Senate votes, Collins voted against the measures.
Platner highlighted Collins’ November vote against the Venezuela resolution, which failed 49 to 51, saying that “from Iraq to Venezuela, you can count on Susan Collins to enable illegal foreign wars.”
The controversy deepened after U.S. forces abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas and brought them to New York. During his first court appearance on Monday, Maduro rejected the charges against him.
“I am the president of Venezuela, and I consider myself a prisoner of war,” Maduro said. Both he and Flores pleaded not guilty.
The abductions have sparked mounting global outrage and renewed debate in Washington over constitutional authority for military action. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pledged to force another vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution this week.
Maine Sen. Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats and voted for both previous war powers measures, expressed concern about the trajectory of the conflict.
“The Constitution lays out very clearly that Congress has the power to declare war,” King said. “I know Congress has abdicated many of its powers in recent years, but I hope and plan on trying to return those fundamental duties back to the legislative branch as the founders designed.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills has also criticized Collins’ role in the escalation.
She said Collins “gave Donald Trump the green light to move us unilaterally towards a costly and unjustified war when she voted with her party against a bill to check his power.”
“We have had enough of Sen. Collins feigning concern about the president’s abuses on the one hand while she rubber stamps his agenda and his actions on the other,” Mills said.
As opposition to the Venezuela operation continues to grow, Platner’s campaign reported raising $4.7 million from more than 182,000 contributions in the final quarter of 2025, with an average donation of $25.
“While the political elites in both parties have tried to write this movement off as a flash in the pan, we have shown time and time again that we not only have staying power but are building a ship that will last,” Platner said in a statement.
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