2:37The oil tanker MT Bandra, flagged by Guinea and currently under sanctions, is partially visible alongside another ship at El Palito terminal, near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on Dec. 29, 2025.Juan Carlos Hernandez/Reuters
The Trump administration has informed Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez that the regime must comply with the demands of the White House before it can resume oil pumping, as per three individuals familiar with the administration’s strategy.
First, the nation needs to expel China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and cut economic links, the sources indicated. Secondly, Venezuela must commit to collaborating solely with the U.S. on oil production and prioritize America in the sale of heavy crude oil, they noted.
One source mentioned that Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed lawmakers in a private briefing on Monday that he believes the U.S. can compel Venezuela to act because its current oil tankers are at capacity. Rubio also conveyed to lawmakers that the U.S. estimates Caracas has only a few weeks left before it faces financial insolvency without the sale of its oil reserves.
In an exclusive conversation with ABC News, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker confirmed that the U.S. strategy relies on managing Venezuela’s oil. He expressed that he does not think this will necessitate the deployment of U.S. troops.
The oil tanker MT Bandra, flagged by Guinea and currently under sanctions, is partially visible alongside another ship at El Palito terminal, near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on Dec. 29, 2025.Juan Carlos Hernandez/Reuters
"The government does intend to manage the oil, taking control of the ships, the tankers, and none of them will be directed to Havana," Wicker stated. "And until they begin to move — we hope to the open market — there are no additional tankers to fill, as they are completely full."
The White House did not contest the reporting.
"The President is discussing exercising maximum leverage over the remaining elements in Venezuela and ensuring their cooperation with the United States by halting illegal migration, curbing drug flows, revitalizing oil infrastructure, and acting in the best interest of the Venezuelan populace," a senior administration official stated.
The State Department did not promptly respond to a request for comment.
Wicker informed ABC News that Venezuela has no further tankers available to transport additional oil.
"The information I possess is that Venezuela cannot extract any further crude oil because there is no place to store it and no destination to send it. The tankers are full and awaiting to move to an appropriate location, ideally to be sold on the open market rather than being [given] freely to China," Wicker remarked.
Trump announced on Tuesday evening that the "interim authorities" in Venezuela would transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S. to be sold at market price. Trump asserted that those funds would be managed by him "to ensure it is utilized to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!"
Wicker stated that the administration’s plan does not seem to involve U.S. military personnel.
"This is not a matter of boots on the ground … That is simply not part of the plan," he added.
Last month, Trump stated in an online post that he had commanded a "TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS entering or exiting Venezuela."
When asked by reporters the next day what that entailed, Trump remarked, "it's just a blockade. We won’t allow anyone to pass through who shouldn’t be allowed through."
ABC News' Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com