White House says US has ‘maximum leverage’ as Venezuela releases sanctioned oil

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday local time stated that Washington is working closely with interim authorities in Venezuela who have agreed to release millions of barrels of sanctioned crude to the US underscoring Washingtons leverage over the South American nations oil supplies following the US largescale strike in CaracasDuring a White House press briefing Leavitt said that the Trump Administration is in close correspondence with Venezuelas interim leaders and stressed that their decisions continue to be shaped by American engagement and influenceThe Trump Administration is in close correspondence with the interim authorities in Venezuela We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now Their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States Leavitt saidThis comes days after the US launched a largescale strike in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and also captured its former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on SaturdayMaduro and Flores were flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement They were indicted on charges of alleged drug trafficking and narcoterrorism conspiracies in the Southern District of New York and are currently facing trialFollowing their capture Delcy Rodriguez the Vice President of Venezuela under Maduro officially assumed the role of the countrys acting president according to CNNConfirming the oil arrangement Leavitt said that the crude oil in question was previously stalled in storage due to an effective USled quarantine and now the interim authorities have agreed to release that oil for shipment to the United States and it is expected to arrive on American shores very soonLeavitt described the arrangement as a deal brokered by US President Donald Trump and his team with Venezuelas interim government adding that it is intended to benefit both the American and Venezuelan peopleThis was the sanctioned oil that was basically just sitting in barrels sitting on ships because of the effective quarantine and the interim authorities have agreed to release that oil to the United States so it will be arriving here at home very soon Leavitt saidThis was a deal This was a deal made by the President and his team with the Venezuelan interim authorities This will benefit both the American people and the Venezuelan people she addedEarlier today the US announced a major energy initiative with Venezuela following its military operations last week rolling back select sanctions to market Venezuelan crude oil globally while stabilising the South American nations energy sectorIn a Fact Sheet released by the US Department of Energy the administration highlighted that all proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan crude and oil products will initially be deposited in UScontrolled accounts at globally recognised banks ensuring transparency and proper distribution for the benefit of both American and Venezuelan citizensThe deal is expected to begin with the sale of approximately 30 to 50 million barrels of oil with further sales to continue indefinitelyAccording to the fact sheet the US will also supply diluent light crude oil to Venezuela to upgrade its very heavy crude and facilitate transport and salesThe only oil transported in and out of Venezuela will be through legitimate and authorised channels consistent with US law and national security The United States is selectively rolling back sanctions to enable the transport and sale of Venezuelan crude and oil products to global markets the factsheet statedThe energy deal follows the apprehension of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on January 3 2026 and is part of the Trump administrations broader strategy to restore prosperity safety and security across the Western HemisphereUS President Donald Trump has also stated that the interim authorities in Venezuela would turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States and noted that while the oil will be sold at its market price the money will be controlled by Trump to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United StatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever