Overview
- President Donald Trump said he called off a planned second wave of attacks after initial political prisoner releases, while U.S. forces kept pressure by seizing a fifth Venezuela-linked tanker, the Olina, in the Caribbean.
- State Department envoys arrived in Caracas to assess a gradual restoration of diplomatic operations, and the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez said it will send its own delegation to Washington for exploratory talks.
- Early releases included Spanish nationals and high-profile detainees such as Enrique Márquez and activist Rocío San Miguel, with human-rights groups noting that many prisoners remain jailed.
- At the White House, Trump met executives from nearly twenty oil firms, offered security guarantees, and said companies should negotiate with Washington rather than Caracas, claiming interest for up to $100 billion in investment as Exxon signaled caution pending stable terms.
- Reporting indicates Washington has begun marketing seized Venezuelan crude and freezing assets tied to Nicolás Maduro, while Trump plans to receive opposition leader María Corina Machado in Washington next week.