Overview
- U.S. and Venezuelan authorities launched an exploratory process to restore relations, with a State Department team in Caracas led by envoy John McNamara and a Delcy Rodríguez–led delegation set to travel to Washington.
- At a White House meeting with petroleum executives, President Trump said the U.S. will decide which firms can operate in Venezuela and offered security guarantees, touting potential private investment of about $100 billion.
- U.S. forces captured the tanker Olina linked to sanctioned Venezuelan crude, extending a campaign of maritime seizures to control oil flows and enforce restrictions.
- Trump said he scrapped a threatened second wave of military strikes after initial prisoner releases, while rights group Foro Penal reports more than 800 political detainees remain, including 175 military personnel.
- Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are in U.S. custody facing federal charges in New York as the White House signals a phased roadmap that prioritizes stabilization and energy recovery before broader political change.