Venezuela Receives First $500 Million from U.S. Oil Deal
The first installment of funds from a recent agreement between Caracas and Washington for the sale of Venezuelan oil – totaling $500 million – has been fully delivered to Venezuela this week.
A U.S. Government official confirmed to Reuters that the final $200 million tranche was sent to the country. “Venezuela officially received the $500 million from the first sale of Venezuelan oil,” the official said.
This financial movement follows the arrest of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. Forces on January 3rd. According to the source, who requested anonymity, the funds will be used “for the benefit of the Venezuelan people at the discretion of the United States government.”
Stabilization and Public Services
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently explained to lawmakers that authorizing Venezuela to market its own crude oil is a short-term strategy. The primary goal, he stated, is to maintain minimal state functionality and prevent a larger humanitarian crisis.
We allowed Venezuela to use its own oil to generate revenue to pay teachers, firefighters, and police, and to keep the function of government running so that we didn’t have a systemic collapse,
Rubio reportedly said before the legislature.
Control of Revenue from Oil Sales
The funds were initially held in a temporary account in Qatar, designed to ensure the cash flow reached critical sectors of the Venezuelan public administration.
However, the U.S. Official clarified that this mechanism will evolve. For future sales, the plan is to transfer the proceeds to a fund located within the United States. From there, expenditures for Venezuelan government agencies and instruments will be authorized, provided they comply with procedures and instructions previously agreed upon with the U.S. Administration.
The Trump administration confirmed the first sale of Venezuelan oil on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, valued at $500 million. This deal followed an announcement by President Trump that interim authorities in Venezuela would be turning over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S., worth approximately $2.8 billion at current market prices.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated that President Trump brokered a historic energy deal
with Venezuela immediately following Maduro’s arrest, which she said would benefit both the American and Venezuelan people. Rogers added that the Trump administration is facilitating positive, ongoing discussions with oil companies that are ready and willing to make unprecedented investments to restore Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
The U.S. Government will oversee the sale of the oil, and the proceeds will be deposited into accounts controlled by Washington, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax on Wednesday evening that cash from the oil sales would begin flowing into Venezuela as soon as Thursday, January 15, 2026. Venezuelan banks reportedly began advertising cash availability, suggesting the oil proceeds had arrived in the country, according to two sources familiar with Venezuela’s financial system.
The U.S. Plans to seize and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The initial $500 million sale is just the first of numerous sales expected to generate billions of dollars in the coming months and potentially years.
