How the Pentagon Is Getting Into the Venezuelan Oil Business Under Trump

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-01T02:16:19.121Z • Permanent link

The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Capital has been secretly working with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to develop a comprehensive plan to increase the country's oil production, according to a new report. This partnership, which has been in the works since 2018, involves the Office of Strategic Capital providing loans to state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to help upgrade the country's aging oil infrastructure.

Led by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy John Rood, the Office of Strategic Capital has been exploring various ways to boost Venezuela's energy sector, including investing in new oil fields and refining capacity. The plan, which has been met with skepticism by some in the U.S. government, aims to not only increase Venezuela's oil production but also reduce its reliance on imported oil from other countries.

According to sources, the Office of Strategic Capital has been working closely with PDVSA to identify areas of the country's oil industry that require investment and to develop a strategy for upgrading the sector. The partnership has already led to the signing of several major deals, including a $1 billion agreement with French energy company Total to develop a new oil field in the Orinoco Belt.

The implications of this partnership are far-reaching and could have significant impacts on the global energy market. For example, Venezuela is currently the world's fifth-largest oil producer, and increasing its production could help to reduce the country's reliance on imported oil and increase its influence in the region. However, the partnership has also raised concerns about the potential for corruption and the impact on the U.S. government's efforts to pressure Maduro's regime to improve human rights in Venezuela.

The partnership also has significant implications for the U.S. defense industry, which could benefit from the increased demand for military equipment and services in Venezuela. Companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin have already begun to explore new business opportunities in the country, and the partnership with the Office of Strategic Capital could provide a major boost to their efforts.

The partnership between the Office of Strategic Capital and PDVSA is part of a larger pattern of U.S. efforts to engage with the Maduro regime in Venezuela. In recent years, the U.S. government has taken a more nuanced approach to dealing with the crisis in Venezuela, recognizing that the country's problems are complex and multifaceted. While some have called for a more hardline approach, including the imposition of sanctions and the provision of military aid to opposition groups, others have argued that a more collaborative approach could help to bring about a more peaceful resolution to the crisis.