Trump and Rubio to Greet First Venezuelan Oil Shipment to US
A million barrels of oil arrive in Texas following a significant energy agreement between the US and Venezuela.
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to greet the first shipment of Venezuelan oil to arrive in the United States following a major energy agreement between the two nations. The tanker, carrying one million barrels of oil, is expected to dock in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday.
A White House official described the shipment as "provided to the United States for free, at no cost to the taxpayer," and stated, "This will be the first of the billions of barrels to come from this deal."
Rubio will join Trump for the tanker's arrival, after which the president is scheduled to make remarks before traveling to Lubbock for a pre-midterm rally. The Associated Press first reported on the planned visit Monday.
In late August, Trump announced a deal with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, to secure access to 65 billion barrels of oil from the South American nation's reserves through a partnership with private businesses. At the time, Trump stated the transaction would "MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity."
Venezuela's reserves are estimated to hold roughly 303 billion barrels of crude oil, representing 17% of the world's total supply. The August agreement followed the capture and extradition of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to the U.S. in January to face narco-terrorism charges.
The arrival of the oil shipment coincides with Trump's efforts to bolster Republican support ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, with recent polls indicating potential losses for his party in the House and a competitive race for the Senate. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is currently trailing his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, by a narrow margin in the state's Senate race, according to polling averages.