Donald Trump
The Art of the Oil Deal: Trump’s First Venezuelan Crude Sale Links Megadonor to Energy Resurgence
Just three days after the historic restructuring of Venezuela’s energy sector following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has finalized its first major sale of Venezuelan crude oil. On January 16, 2026, the administration brokered a $500 million deal that signals a radical shift in U.S.