Overview
- The administration says it will manage Venezuelan oil marketing for an indeterminate period, route revenues into U.S.-controlled banks, and limit Caracas’s share to buying U.S.-made goods.
- In an interview with the New York Times, President Trump said control could extend well beyond months and that 30–50 million barrels stored on ships will be handed over and sold under U.S. direction, and he will meet major oil company chiefs on Friday.
- Vice President JD Vance said Venezuela may make independent crude sales only if they align with U.S. national security interests, as reports indicate planners are weighing ways to exert control over PDVSA.
- U.S. forces continue seizing sanctioned tankers under a naval quarantine, while Venezuelan storage is reported saturated, joint ventures have been told to cut output, and “shadow” tankers still operate.
- PDVSA says it is negotiating with U.S. officials and interim leader Delcy Rodríguez calls the trade routine, as Mexico declares it has become an important supplier of oil to Cuba during the disruption.