Washington, DC – US Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the US action against Venezuela was aimed at “returning stolen oil to the United States” and dismantling drug trafficking networks. He thus justified the attack and the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife as part of these objectives.
Vance explained in remarks made on Saturday that US President Donald Trump “presented several options, but he was very clear throughout this process.” He emphasized that Washington sees the need to stop drug trafficking, in addition to recovering what he called “stolen oil.” He added that Trump “means what he says,” referring to the US administration’s tough stance toward Caracas.
In a comment on the X platform, Vance said that “Maduro is the latest to discover that President Trump is serious about his positions.” He argued that the accusations against the Venezuelan president justify the measures taken against him. He continued, warning: “For anyone who says that what is happening is illegal, it should be remembered that Maduro faces several indictments in the United States on charges related to drug-related terrorism.”
The US Vice President stressed that residing in presidential palaces “does not exempt one from accountability.” He said, “One is not exempt from punishment for drug trafficking into the United States simply because one lives in a palace in Caracas.”
The Trump administration accuses Maduro of heading a vast drug trafficking network. The Venezuelan government denies these accusations and responds by accusing Washington of seeking to overthrow the regime in order to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Last December, Trump announced a blockade on oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. Two shipments of Venezuelan oil have been seized. Monitoring data and internal documents show that these measures have caused a decline in exports from Venezuela, an OPEC member. Last month, exports fell to about half of November’s level of 950,000 barrels per day.
The US actions led many ship owners to reroute their vessels away from Venezuelan waters. This caused a rapid buildup of crude oil and fuel stocks at the state-owned oil company. The company was forced to slow deliveries and store oil on tankers to avoid reducing production or refining.
