CARABALLEDA — The United States government markets Venezuelan oil globally and remits Caracas’ share to the Venezuelan national treasure. This financial mechanism operates while Delcy Rodriguez serves as interim president of Venezuela following the removal of Nicolas Maduro from power in January 2026.

U.S. special forces executed a series of military operations in Venezuela on January 3, 2026. The forces attacked military targets across the country during the initial phase of the mission. Units subsequently seized Venezuela’s most heavily guarded fortification.

The operation concluded with the extraction of Nicolas Maduro and his wife from the country. Maduro had succeeded Hugo Chavez as leader of Venezuela and lost the 2024 Venezuelan election.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the objectives of the intervention. "The Trump Administration's design is to stabilize Venezuela, revive its economy, and eventually shepherd it back toward democracy," Rubio said. The mission followed political instability and the existence of a $25 million bounty maintained by the United States on Diosdado Cabello.

Cabello serves as Venezuela's Interior Minister. American military officers have met with Cabello in Caracas.

The nation faced a separate catastrophe later in the year. Two magnitude seven earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24, 2026. The two earthquakes occurred in less than a minute.

At least 5,000 people died in the earthquakes, with most deaths occurring in La Guaira state. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the earthquakes may have claimed more than 10,000 lives. Estimates of missing persons from the earthquakes range from 10,000 to 30,000. A volunteer rescuer stood next to a Venezuelan flag on debris from a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on July 15, 2026.

Social and economic challenges persist within the country. Half of Venezuela's population lives in extreme poverty. A quarter of Venezuela's population was lost to mass migration in less than a decade prior to 2026.

Delcy Rodriguez and virtually her entire cabinet remain under U.S. sanctions. Rodriguez declared an accounting of oil revenues would be available on a website. The website for Venezuelan oil revenue accounting has been inactive since March 2026.

The U.S. military operation to apprehend Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, was conducted under the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and based on arrest warrants issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for narcotics trafficking and terrorism conspiracy. The U.S. Treasury waived sanctions on Venezuelan oil transactions until October 23, 2026, to facilitate relief efforts following the June 2026 earthquakes. Although Nicolás Maduro was de facto removed from power, according to the Venezuelan government, he is still the de jure president of Venezuela.