Trump says US to get 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela

President Donald Trump walks off stage after speaking to House Republicans during their annual policy retreat (Evan Vucci/AP)

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday on his social media site that “Interim Authorities” in Venezuela would be providing 30 million to 50 million barrels of “High Quality” oil to the US at its market price.

The announcement came after officials in Caracas announced at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the US military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face drug charges.

Mr Trump posted on Truth Social that the oil “will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States”. He said the money would be controlled by him as president, but it would be used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.

Separately, the White House is organising an Oval Office meeting on Friday with oil company executives regarding Venezuela, with representatives of Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips expected to attend, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the plans.

A government supporter holds an image of Nicolas Maduro during a women’s march to demand his return in Caracas, Venezuela on Tuesday (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Earlier on Tuesday, Venezuelan officials announced the death count in the Maduro raid as the country’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, pushed back on Mr Trump, who earlier this week warned she would face an outcome worse than Maduro’s if she does not “do what’s right” and overhaul Venezuela into a country that aligns with US interests.

Mr Trump has said his administration will now “run” Venezuela policy and is pressing the country’s leaders to open its vast oil reserves to American energy companies.

Ms Rodriguez, delivering an address on Tuesday before government agricultural and industrial sector officials, said: “Personally, to those who threaten me: My destiny is not determined by them, but by God.”

Venezuela’s attorney general Tarek William Saab said “dozens” of officers and civilians were killed in the weekend strike in Caracas and said prosecutors would investigate the deaths in what he described as a “war crime”.

He did not specify if the estimate was specifically referring to Venezuelans.

In addition to the Venezuelan security officials, Cuba’s government had previously confirmed 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela were killed in the raid. The Cuban government says the personnel killed belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, the country’s two main security agencies.

Jose Luis Gonzalez speaks during the burial of his sister Rosa Elena Gonzalez, 80, who died after her apartment was hit during a US strike to capture Nicolas Maduro (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Seven US service members were also injured in the raid, according to the Pentagon. Five have already returned to duty, while two are still recovering from their injuries. The injuries included gunshot wounds and shrapnel injuries, according to a US official who was not authorised to comment on the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A video tribute to the slain Venezuelan security officials posted to the military’s Instagram account features faces of the fallen over black-and-white videos of soldiers, American aircraft flying over Caracas and armoured vehicles destroyed by the blasts.

The streets of Caracas, deserted for days following Maduro’s capture, briefly filled with masses of people waving Venezuelan flags and bouncing to patriotic music at a state-organised display of support for the government.

“Their spilled blood does not cry out for vengeance, but for justice and strength,” the military wrote in an Instagram post.

“It reaffirms our unwavering oath not to rest until we rescue our legitimate President, completely dismantle the terrorist groups operating from abroad, and ensure that events such as these never again sully our sovereign soil.”