Paradise Lost or Paradise Regained?

Brayden Byers, Staff Writer

It’s been a questionable start to the year for Venezuela. The U.S. launched an attack on Caracas, capturing the nations President Nicolás Maduro, leaving Venezuela in disarray over the uncertainty of it political and economic future.

The operation was the climax of an extensive military pressure campaign by the Trump Administration, framed as an effort to stymie drug trafficking and so called “narco-terrorism.” The U.S. has asserted control over the direction of Venezuela’s governance and the crude oil industry. 

Since the U.S. military’s strikes on Venezuela and seizure of president Nicolás Maduro, Trump has stated that he plans to tap into the vast oil reserves, seizing six oil tankers of Venezuelan oil throughout his ongoing efforts to control the oil.  

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took to social media and made a post to the effect of the vessel was part of a “ghost fleet” from foreign flagged tankers operating in defiance of the president’s “quarantine” of sanctioned vessels. The announcement of the sixth tanker came ahead of Trumps scheduled White House meeting with María Corina Machado, which is the Venezuelan opposition leader and the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The purpose of this meeting centers on discussion surrounding the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, in Caracas earlier this month. Trump announced last week forming an agreement with Venezuela’s acting leaders, that he will provide the U.S. with 50m barrels of crude oil.

The president also signed an executive order to “safeguard” Venezuelan oil revenues in U.S. controlled accounts. Politically, the president has largely sided with Machado, instead of recognizing Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as Venezuela’s acting leader, as Trump maintains that the U.S. will “run” the country.