Trump Says U.S. Has Sold Over $13 Billion From Venezuelan Oil: “We’ve Paid For That War Many Times Over”

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States has sold more than $13 billion worth of Venezuelan oil so far this year, touting the revenue generated after Washington assumed control of the country's oil exports following the capture of former authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro in January.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Michigan to tour a General Motors facility, Trump suggested the total could be even higher than recent estimates published by the Financial Times.

"$13 billion from Venezuela? I think even more than that," Trump said. "We've paid for that war many times over." The president's remarks came in response to a question about the Financial Times report estimating that the Trump administration has collected such a figure.

The unprecedented arrangement has effectively placed the United States in charge of marketing and selling Venezuelan crude on international markets, making the oil-rich South American nation a new source of revenue for Washington.

Trump has repeatedly defended the policy, arguing that the proceeds have helped offset the costs associated with the U.S. military campaign that led to Maduro's removal from power. While the administration has highlighted the billions generated through the program, members of Congress are demanding more details about where the money is going.

Democrats have pressed the White House to disclose exactly how much has been collected from Venezuelan oil sales, how the revenue is being spent and what oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure accountability. Questions have also been raised about whether the funds are being held for the benefit of Venezuela, directed toward reconstruction efforts or used to reimburse U.S. government expenses.

Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro told the Financial Times that "Trump's invasion of Venezuela has been about oil, power, and graft from the very beginning, with billions of dollars in Venezuelan oil revenue being controlled by the Trump administration without transparency or safeguards."

So far, the administration has released few public details beyond broad estimates of total revenue. The scale of the operation became clearer earlier this year when Energy Secretary Chris Wright discussed the program during an interview with Semafor.

Wright said in April that the United States had sold approximately 150 million barrels of Venezuelan oil since January, underscoring the rapid pace at which exports have resumed under U.S. oversight.

Since January, exports have continued flowing to international buyers as the United States has overseen sales through a new management structure. The administration has maintained that its handling of Venezuelan oil sales is designed to stabilize the country's energy sector while ensuring that revenue is not diverted through corruption.