Trump confirms 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil en route to Houston

2026-02-20 - 02:52

US President Donald Trump revealed Thursday that 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are currently being transported to Houston, Texas, aboard "extremely large ships." Speaking at an event in Georgia, Trump said: "You've heard about Venezuela, and we're helping them very much with their oil. They got a lot of oil... We took 50 million barrels of oil. It's right now floating very nicely and in extremely large ships to Houston." Praise for Rodriguez Trump also commended Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, stating: "The president's doing an excellent job, getting along great." The remarks signal a significant thaw in US-Venezuela relations following months of heightened tensions. Post-Maduro Context The oil shipment follows the Jan. 3 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces, which triggered a series of developments: Rodriguez's swearing-in as interim president, passage of reforms to Venezuela's flagship oil law, and the release of some political prisoners. The crude delivery represents the largest reported energy transfer between the two nations since the breakdown of relations under Maduro.