US Secures Major Oil Deal with Venezuela Amid High Gas Prices

Broke: Updated:
The story so far — full thread
US Secures Major Oil Deal with Venezuela Amid High Gas Prices
Photo: PBS NewsHour
politics· A press review of 17 outlets
  1. A statement from Rodríguez said the deal involves the development of 17 fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels. It said the agreement could draw $100 billion in investment into Venezuela’s oil industry and yield over $209 billion in taxes for Caracas.

    Compare 5 other versions
    NPR News

    Rodríguez's government in a statement said the deal involves the development of 17 fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels. It said the agreement could draw $100 billion in investment into Venezuela's oil industry and yield over $209 billion in taxes for Caracas.

    RealClearPolitics

    That’s how to judge the oil deal announced by the governments of the U.S. and Venezuela. The transaction has not been fully disclosed. Reports indicate that it is a long-term energy partnership between the two governments structured with private capital and operators to develop 17 oil fields with an estimated proven potential of 65 billion barrels. The Venezuelan government says the holding could attract more than $100 billion in investment and generate around $209 billion in taxes. The U.S., in effect, would obtain a majority stake in the oil produced in those fields.

    New York Post

    The Venezuelan government said companies would be permitted to work on 17 oil fields, bringing an estimated $100 billion in investment to the country’s battered oil industry and more than $209 billion in tax revenue.

    ABC News

    "The agreement will allow for a significant increase in oil production with the participation of private operators," Rodriguez said in the statement, saying the deal calls for the development of 17 strategic fields, with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels of oil, and an investment of more than $100 billion, and more than $209 billion in tax revenue.

    Fox News

    While the U.S. will not immediately gain access to 35.75 billion barrels of oil, the 55% interest applies to the oil ultimately produced by the 17 Venezuelan fields covered by the agreement.

  2. President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States had reached an agreement with Venezuela securing majority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of oil reserves, touting the deal as a major boost to U.S. energy security and a potential long-term answer to rising gas prices.

    Compare 15 other versions
    NBC News

    “BREAKING NEWS: The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY! At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    USA Today

    Trump said a pact with Venezuela will allow the U.S. to control billions of barrels of oil, lowering gas prices for Americans and doubling reserves.

    BBC News

    Published The US has reached a deal with Venezuela to control more than 65 billion barrels of its proven oil reserves, according to President Donald Trump.

    ABC News

    In a social media post, Trump called it "THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY" and said it would provide majority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela.

    PBS NewsHour

    Trump says U.S. has entered deal with Venezuela to control 65 billion barrels of its oil reserves The announcement of the deal comes nearly nine months after the U.S. military at Trump's direction carried out an operation to capture Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face federal narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges.

    Fox News

    President Donald Trump on Friday touted an agreement with Venezuela that he said would lower gas prices by giving the U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels of oil from the South American country's proven reserves.

    The Guardian US

    Donald Trump announced Friday a new US oil agreement with Venezuela, saying the US will have “majority” control of 65bn barrels of proven oil reserves.

    Washington Times

    Trump said the agreement announced Friday night would give the United States a stake in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, a step toward his goal of extracting energy from the country after American forces captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in a middle-of-the-night raid in January and brought him to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.

    NPR News

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration has entered a sweeping agreement with Venezuela that, if realized, could give the U.S. access to vast amounts of the South American country's untapped oil reserves, at cost.

    Washington Examiner

    President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he struck a historic oil deal with Venezuela, after wresting power from former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in January.

    HuffPost

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. has entered an agreement with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels of the South American country’s oil reserves.

    New York Post

    Trump announced Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Rodríguez had negotiated an agreement giving private US companies access to what he described as “65 BILLION BARRELS” of proven Venezuelan oil reserves “at no cost to the American Taxpayer.”

    The Hill

    Live updates: US-Venezuela oil deal sparks debate; Doug Ford set for Sunday show appearance President Trump this weekend announced a new deal for the U.S. to acquire majority control of over 65 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, which has prompted a mixed response on the home front. Senate Democrats slammed the deal, describing the move as putting private profits over the safety of U.S. soldiers. GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno (Ohio) countered…

    RealClearPolitics

    Inside Trump's Plan To Give DoD a Stake in Venezuela's Oil

    Breitbart

    Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said Friday on MS NOW’s “All In” that President Donald Trump’s agreement giving the U.S. majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan’s oil reserves is “morally wrong.”

  3. The deal gives the United States 55% effective output of the new private company, including an ownership stake and rights to buy oil at cost. American purchases of the oil will go toward the U.S. strategic oil reserves along with the military, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

    Compare 2 other versions
    Fox News

    The agreement with Venezuela will give the U.S. a 55% effective interest in the output of a new private company formed to manage the reserves, a U.S. official familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

    NPR News

    The deal gives the United States 55% effective output of the new private company -- including an ownership stake and rights to buy oil at cost. The company would be the second largest corporate holder of proven reserves after Saudi Aramco, according to the official.

  4. Trump faces mounting pressure to address high gas prices as the war in Iran on Friday reached a six-month milestone with no conclusion in sight. The U.S. has tapped its strategic petroleum reserves, which in early August fell below 300 million barrels, down by more than 100 million barrels since the start of 2026.

    Compare 5 other versions
    HuffPost

    Trump faces mounting pressure to address high gas prices as the war in Iran reaches a six-month milestone with no conclusion in sight. The U.S. has tapped its strategic petroleum reserves, which in early August fell below 300 million barrels, down by more than 100 million barrels since the start of 2026.

    NBC News

    Trump is facing increasing pressure as midterms elections loom and gas prices have spiked because of the war with Iran, which was started by the U.S. and Israel six months ago on Feb. 28.

    ABC News

    The announcement comes as oil and gas prices continue to surge amid the Iran war, which reached the six-month mark on Friday.

    The Daily Wire

    The timing is particularly significant as Americans face elevated energy prices and the Trump administration attempts to manage the economic fallout from the war with Iran. The conflict has disrupted global oil markets, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for crude.

    The Guardian US

    Trump is under pressure before November’s midterm elections over rising gasoline prices, which could be eased through cheaper oil supplies and expanded output.

  5. The breakthrough comes as disruptions to global energy markets from the Iran war continue to push up prices at the pump, with Americans now paying an average of $4.08 per gallon for regular gasoline, up from $3.20 a year ago, according to AAA.

    Compare 1 other version
    The Daily Wire

    The average price of gasoline in the United States was roughly $4.09 per gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. Trump has repeatedly argued that increasing American energy production and securing reliable supplies from friendly nations can help bring those prices back down.

  6. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, described the deal as a step toward economic recovery that will modernize the country’s oil industry.

    Compare 1 other version
    ABC News

    In a statement in English posted on social media, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez hailed the agreement with the U.S. and said it would "have a significant impact on our nation's revival."

  7. Chevron, the only U.S. oil company currently operating in Venezuela, declined to comment on the president's post.

    Compare 1 other version
    Washington Times

    Chevron, the only U.S. oil company actively producing in Venezuela, declined to comment. Separately from Trump’s announcement, Chevron already had been in talks to expand investment in the country. Exxon Mobil also declined to comment.

  8. “This Transaction will greatly strengthen the already growing relationship between Venezuela and the United States,” Trump wrote.

    Compare 1 other version
    ABC News

    Trump also said the deal would "greatly strengthen" the relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela.

From the margins

13 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 RealClearPolitics

    For too long, Venezuela has confused maintaining its sovereignty with keeping its oil in the ground even if its vast oil reserves produced neither investments nor collective well-being. But true sovereignty means establishing rules that turn those resources into prosperity for Venezuelans, including with international partners.

  2. 02 NPR News

    The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has led to a dramatic slowdown of Gulf oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which about 20% of the world petroleum passed through prior to the conflict.

  3. 03 HuffPost

    The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has led to a dramatic slowdown of Gulf oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which about 20% of the world petroleum passed through prior to the conflict.

  4. 04 New York Post

    Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar did a quick about-face on President Trump’s massive Venezuela oil deal Saturday — deleting a social media post blasting the pact before returning to declare it was “a great deal” for America and the Venezuelan people

  5. 05 Fox News

    Rystad Energy, an independent energy research firm, said in July that Venezuelan oil production could jump 17% by 2028, but only if significant advances are made.

  6. 06 The Guardian US

    The Trump administration’s talks with Venezuela were first reported earlier this week by the Wall Street Journal and Axios.

  7. 07 NBC News

    Space Academy 01:31 Trump orders Lake Ontario renamed ‘Lake America’ 01:25 Can Trump rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'? 02:04 Trump signs executive order to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' 00:57 Secret Service responds to reports of Iranian threat against Trump's son Barron 01:51 Supreme Court allows Trump's mail-in ballot order to go into effect 01:53 U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods after trade talks collapse 02:20 Trump tells voters to ‘pretend’ he is on the ballot ahead of South Carolina Senate runoff 01:51 Trump says he will meet with Kim Jong Un this year 02:26 Trump says he had 'a good conversation' with Canadian prime minister about tariffs 01:29 Trump posts that 'no talks or conversations' are scheduled with Iran 02:46 Melania Trump noticeably keeping a much lower profile in her second term as first lady 03:32 Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it interferes with Strait of Hormuz deal 03:50 Trump speaks on higher gas prices 00:58 Trump downplays concerns about living conditions on aircraft carrier 01:33 Trump downplays concerns about conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln 02:26 Haitians in Maryland live in fear over ICE detentions after end of their TPS status 03:34 Karoline Leavitt to step down as White House press secretary at end of August 03:23

  8. 08 New York Times

    Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal Relies on a Powerful and Divisive Partner The administration will work with a private Venezuelan oil company that has close ties to the country’s government.

  9. 09 ABC News

    Venezuela has been beset by economic crises for years and suffered two powerful back-to-back earthquakes in June that left more than 6,000 people dead.

  10. 10 Washington Examiner

    The president’s latest announcement on the sweeping oil deal with Venezuela comes at a critical time for the Republican Party. At roughly two months out from the midterm elections, Democrats have seized on gas prices that have surged due to the Iran war to press affordability issues and make their case for a change of leadership down the ballot in November.

  11. 11 The Daily Wire

    Trump said the agreement comes “at no cost to the American Taxpayer” and argued that it will strengthen the increasingly close relationship between Washington and Caracas.

  12. 12 Breitbart

    Host Chris Hayes said, “I want to ask you about something he said today. He just announced that having abducted a president of that country, that we are now going to essentially get all their oil reserves. This is a huge deal. And we’ve now taken over, essentially, Venezuelan oil reserves. Do you think there’s still like a core of anti-imperial civic culture in this country, in which just people understand there’s something wrong about abducting a country’s leader to take their oil?”

  13. 13 Washington Times

    But the answers to questions such as how soon the reserves could be drilled and who will pay to make it happen were not immediately clear. No text of any agreement has been released.

Assembled from 8 corroborated claims drawn from 17 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

Fact Corroboration

Which sources independently confirm the same facts. Hover a claim to see its sources, or a source to see what it corroborates.

Coverage by Perspective

Left
2
Lean-Left
6
Center
5
Lean-Right
10
Right
3

Source Similarity

Connections show how similarly each outlet covered this story. Thicker lines = more similar framing.

Sources (17)

  • huffpost
  • pbs
  • abc
  • nypost
  • nyt
  • dailywire
  • foxnews
  • breitbart
  • npr
  • thehill
  • usatoday
  • nbc
  • guardian
  • rcp
  • washexaminer
  • bbc
  • washtimes

Original Articles (26)

Lean Right Venezuela Oil Deal Could Benefit All Sides — RealClearPolitics
Lean Right DoD Loses a Battle In Its Unnecessary War With Anthropic — RealClearPolitics
Lean Right Inside Trump's Plan To Give DoD a Stake in Venezuela's Oil — RealClearPolitics
Lean Right Venezuelan interim president offers details on US oil deal — The Hill
Lean Right Live updates: US-Venezuela oil deal sparks debate; Doug Ford set for Sunday show appearance — The Hill
Lean Right Democrats sound alarm on US-Venezuela oil deal: ‘This isn’t a win’ — The Hill
Lean Right Trump says he secured ‘majority U.S. control’ of large slice of Venezuela’s oil reserves — The Hill
Center Trump says U.S. has entered deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels of oil reserves — NPR News
Lean Right Florida rep deletes X post blasting Trump’s oil deal with Venezuela, then posts again to praise it — New York Post
Right Trump touts access to 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil in deal he says will slash gas prices — Fox News
Lean Left Trump announces new US oil agreement with Venezuela — The Guardian US
Lean Left President Trump announces 'biggest oil deal in world history' — NBC News
Lean Left U.S. has entered deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels of oil reserves, Trump says — NBC News
Center US and Venezuela reach 'historic' oil deal, Trump says — BBC News
Lean Left Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal Relies on a Powerful and Divisive Partner — New York Times
Lean Left ‘A New Form of U.S. Colonialism’: Venezuelans Bristle at U.S. Oil Takeover — New York Times
Lean Left Trump announces 'historic' US-Venezuela oil deal that he says will lower gas prices — ABC News
Center Trump says US taking control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil - USA Today — USA Today
Lean Right Trump announces massive oil deal with Venezuela for over 65 billion barrels in reserves — Washington Examiner
Right Trump Announces ‘Biggest Oil Deal In World History’ — The Daily Wire
Left U.S. To Take 35% Stake In Venezuelan Mogul Betancourt's Oil Venture, WSJ Reports — HuffPost
Left Trump Says U.S. Has Entered Deal With Venezuela To Take Control Of 65 Billion Barrels Of Oil Reserves — HuffPost
Right Ro Khanna: Trump Taking Venezuelan Oil Is 'Morally Wrong' — Breitbart
Lean Right What we know about Trump's deal giving U.S. access to vast oil reserves in Venezuela — Washington Times
Center What we know about Trump's deal giving U.S. access to vast oil reserves in Venezuela — PBS NewsHour
Center Trump says U.S. has entered deal with Venezuela to control 65 billion barrels of its oil reserves — PBS NewsHour