The United States Intervention in Venezuela

The relationship between the United States and Venezuela has long been characterized by ideological clashes, economic interdependence, and strategic competition.

Venezuela, home to the world's largest proven oil reserves, has been a focal point of U.S. foreign policy since the rise of Hugo Chávez in 1999, whose socialist policies challenged American influence in Latin America.

Under Chávez's successor, Nicolás Maduro, tensions escalated, culminating in U.S. sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and, most recently, a direct military intervention.

On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces executed "Operation Absolute Resolve," a raid on Caracas that captured Maduro and Flores, transporting them to New York for trial on charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.

This operation, involving airstrikes on military targets and special forces insertions, resulted in significant casualties, with Venezuela reporting 83 deaths, including 47 soldiers.

The event has been described variably as a "capture" by U.S. officials and a "kidnapping" by Venezuelan authorities and international critics, raising questions about violations of sovereignty under the UN Charter.

The U.S.A Rationale

The Trump administration portrayed the capture of Maduro as a targeted law enforcement operation rather than an act of war.

President Donald Trump announced the action as a success in apprehending a "narco-terrorist," emphasizing Maduro's indictment on charges of conspiring to flood the U.S. with cocaine, possession of machine guns, and related offenses.

These charges stem from a 2020 indictment expanded in subsequent years, accusing Maduro of leading the "Cartel of the Suns," a network allegedly involving Venezuelan officials in drug trafficking.

The operation built on a months-long escalation, including U.S. strikes on vessels suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean and seizures of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the intervention did not require congressional authorization, classifying it as a counter-narcotics effort rather than hostilities.

This framing aligns with broader U.S. national security priorities, including curbing migration, disrupting drug flows, and countering Venezuelan alliances with adversaries like Iran, Russia, and China.

Critics, however, argue this rationale masks violations of international law. The UN Charter prohibits the use of force against sovereign states without Security Council approval or in self-defense, neither of which applies here.

The European Union and several Latin American nations condemned the action, calling for dialogue and restraint. Maduro, during his arraignment, pleaded not guilty and described himself as a "prisoner of war," highlighting the operation's extralegal nature.

Petrodollar

While the official narrative centers on counter-narcotics, an alternative view suggests that the intervention was driven by economic imperatives, particularly the need to secure Venezuelan oil to bolster the U.S. dollar's global reserve status amid risks of debasement.

This perspective draws on the petrodollar system, established in the 1970s, wherein oil-exporting nations price crude in U.S. dollars, creating sustained demand for the currency and enabling the U.S. to finance deficits through seigniorage (the profit governments make from issuing currency, calculated as the difference between the face value of money (coins/notes) and the cost to produce it, or the interest earned by the central bank on assets backing that money).

Venezuela's oil reserves, estimated at over 300 billion barrels, represent a strategic asset in this context.

Under Maduro, Venezuela diversified oil sales away from the dollar, trading with China, Russia, and Iran in alternative currencies and cryptocurrencies, challenging the petrodollar's dominance.

This shift accelerated amid U.S. sanctions, which reduced Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. from over 1 million barrels per day in the early 2000s to near zero by 2020.

As global powers like China and BRICS nations push for de-dollarization, evidenced by increased non-dollar trade settlements, the U.S. faces inflationary pressures from potential dollar debasement. Capturing Maduro facilitates U.S. control over Venezuelan oil, ensuring it is traded in dollars and integrated into U.S. aligned markets.

President Trump's statements post-operation support this. As he claimed the U.S. would "run" Venezuela until its oil infrastructure is rebuilt, with revenues funding U.S. presence and compensating for sanctions.

Reports indicate U.S. sales of seized Venezuelan oil worth $500 million, with proceeds directed to accounts in Qatar.

This could stabilize the dollar by increasing global demand for USD-denominated assets, countering inflation from U.S. fiscal deficits exceeding $2 trillion annually.

Venezuela Post-Capture

Following Maduro's capture, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president, maintaining continuity in the Chavista government.

The U.S. has pursued a multifaceted strategy, blending coercion, diplomacy, and economic leverage.

Trump initially asserted U.S. administration of Venezuela, focusing on oil quarantine to prevent sales to adversaries and directing policy through sanctions.

However, Rubio clarified a non-occupational approach, emphasizing pressure on remaining officials for compliance on drugs, migration, and energy.

Diplomatic engagements have accelerated. A U.S. delegation visited Caracas to explore restoring relations, with Rodríguez signaling openness to re-establishing embassies.

She advocated warming ties and opening the oil sector to foreign investors, including U.S. firms. CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Rodríguez, indicating intelligence-driven coordination.

Economically, the U.S. has seized and sold Venezuelan oil assets, negotiating deals for control over production.

Politically, Trump dismissed opposition leader María Corina Machado's viability, despite her Nobel Peace Prize and calls for democracy, prioritizing stability under Rodríguez.

A state of emergency persists in Venezuela, with U.S. military presence in the region enforcing compliance.

These actions have yielded mixed results. 56 political prisoners were released, but international condemnation persists, with China demanding Maduro's release and regional powers like Brazil and Mexico criticizing the intervention.

The U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro exemplifies the intersection of security, law, and economics in contemporary geopolitics.

Officially a counter-narcotics triumph, the operation's alternative framing as a bid to secure oil for dollar stability reveals deeper structural motivations.

Current U.S. engagements in Venezuela, diplomatic overtures, economic control, and coercive leverage, suggest a strategy aimed at regime co-optation rather than full democratization.

As global de-dollarization trends intensify, such interventions may proliferate, challenging the post-World War II international order.

We will contiune to research and monitor the Venezuela's oil integration into U.S. markets and its impact on currency dynamics.

Kai Tutor | The Societal News Team 17JAN2026