US Nears Major Deal on Venezuela's Oil Reserves: Axios

The US is close to reaching an agreement with Venezuelan authorities to acquire stakes in more than ten operating oil reserves in the country. This was reported by Axios, citing two American officials.

According to one of the newspaper's sources, the reserves in question were previously controlled by certain officials and managers linked to Nicolás Maduro's government. The source also stated that some of them were previously facto controlled by China.

Negotiations are being led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez. The process is also significantly influenced by Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff at the White House.

According to one of Axios’s sources, Venezuelan authorities are cautious about the plans to grant the US a stake in the country's natural resources. “We are doing everything possible to show what benefits this could bring to the Venezuelan people,” said an American official.

As reported by Axios, the presence of the US in Venezuela has expanded since the events of January 2026, when Nicolás Maduro was captured during a US special operations mission, and the leadership of the country was passed to Delcy Rodríguez.

Earlier, The New York Times reported that American ExxonMobil is negotiating to acquire oil extraction rights in Venezuela.