'You're dealing with us': Trump says US to decide which oil firms will operate in Venezuela; meets company executives at White House

US President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration would decide which oil companies will be allowed to operate in Venezuela following the capture of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, and pledged to guarantee security for their operations.

“We're going to be making the decision as to which oil companies are going to go in, that we're going to allow to go in, going to cut a deal with the companies,” Trump told top energy executives at the White House. He said foreign firms had no safety guarantees under Maduro, adding, “But now you have total security. It's a whole different Venezuela," as quoted by AP.




Trump made the remarks during a White House meeting with executives from 17 oil companies, part of an effort to secure $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s oil sector. "You're dealing with us directly, you're not dealing with Venezuela at all, we don't want you to deal with Venezuela," Trump told the gathering.

“At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said in a pre-dawn social media post.

The investment push comes days after a U.S military raid captured Maduro, an action Trump has since framed as a major economic opportunity for the United States. He has said the US is seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil and taking over sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned oil, with plans to control those sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, US forces seized a fifth tanker over the past month linked to Venezuelan oil. The move highlights the administration’s intention to exert control over Venezuela’s exporting, refining and production of petroleum, signaling long-term US involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

The strategy also aligns with Trump’s broader goal of keeping gasoline prices low. With many Americans focused on affordability, the administration has portrayed its actions in Venezuela as a way to influence global energy markets and ease pressure on prices at home.

Companies attending the meeting include Chevron, which continues to operate in Venezuela, as well as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which lost oil projects during a 2007 nationalization under former President Hugo Chávez. Other participants include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol, along with companies involved in construction and commodity trading.