{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Trump: U.S. has control of large slice of Venezuela's oil President Trump said Friday evening that there will be “majority U.S. control” of a large swath of Venezuela’s oil…
Page F1From§Eachthe milkman edition — 1 September 2026
Trump touts Venezuela deal while claiming US controls its oil slice
Trump touts a new deal with Venezuela, but also states the US controls a large slice of its oil. Behind the scenes, political and logistical hurdles remain, but the claim of control is public. The receipts align: a deal announced, a stake claimed, and hurdles listed. The ledger shows movement, not ownership. The gap is between the deal’s promise and the claim’s scale—one is a handshake, the other is a barrel count. The numbers are not adjectives: they are measured in millions of barrels, not in trust. The column gaps like that turn up in energy security filings, hon. The receipts tell you who gets the oil, and who gets the announcement.
“Trump says there’s a new deal with Venezuela, then claims the US already has a big chunk of their oil. The handshake’s for show; the oil’s already in the tank.”
“International negotiations are always complicated. Announcing a deal and stating control are just diplomatic language. If the US has some oil, that's just ensuring energy security. Did I say 'already'? It’s a process, not a possession—maybe. Look, the important thing is there’s progress.”
The receipts
President Trump announced last week that the U.S. would team up with a Venezuelan company to pump oil from a large swath of the South American nation's reserves — but actually getting that petroleum out of the ground could come with…
President Trump is downplaying concerns about a new oil reserve agreement with Venezuela that experts say could take years to get up and running. CBS News' Lilia Luciano has more.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.