The Trump administration has taken control of Venezuela’s oil sales and will now route proceeds directly to the U.S. Treasury instead of an account in Qatar, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. Revenue from Venezuelan crude has topped $1 billion, with short term agreements in place to sell billions more to U.S. and European buyers.
The shift follows the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and high level talks with interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Officials said the Qatar account was initially used to shield funds from creditor claims tied to Venezuela’s massive debt and past expropriations.
Venezuela oil sales top $1 billion, funds won’t go to Qatar account anymore, Energy Secretary says https://t.co/a9z7TGQxTe
— CNBC (@CNBC) February 13, 2026
Depositing funds in the U.S. Treasury raises legal questions because Washington still recognizes Venezuela’s opposition led legislature under President Donald Trump.
The administration says elections and a political transition are expected, after which U.S. oversight would end.
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