The US State Department has issued an urgent directive for all American citizens currently in Venezuela to leave the country without delay.

A recent statement from the US embassy reinforced the existing “Do not travel” advisory that has been in effect since 2019.

Americans planning their departure from the South American nation have been urged to exercise extreme caution.

“There have been reports of armed militia groups, known as colectivos, establishing roadblocks and checking vehicles for individuals with US citizenship or any links to the United States,” the statement highlighted.

“US citizens in Venezuela are advised to stay alert and take care when traveling by road,” it further advised.

Opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Maria Corina Machado is set to meet Trump in the White House on Thursday.

Machado has been angling to be installed as leader in Venezuela.

Acting president cements power

At the same time, acting president Delcy Rodriguez appeared to be cementing power in the country.

A state of emergency allows her regime to “search and capture” anyone connected to the US’s raid.

Rodriguez can only delay elections with the blessing of the National Assembly – which is headed by her brother.

Trump touted the release of Venezuelan political prisoners at his request.

“Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.”

But more than 800 dissidents, including allies of Machado, remain behind bars in Venezuela.

But he has flagged cutting out one major player in the industry.

ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said at a White House summit that he didn’t think Venezuela was a safe bet.

“If we look at the commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela, today it’s uninvestable,” Woods said.

Trump said he was inclined to exclude ExxonMobil from his plans after his remarks.

“I didn’t like Exxon’s response. They’re playing too cute,” he said aboard Air Force One.

ExxonMobil is the largest oil company in the US.

It had large holdings in Venezuela before they were seized by the government in 2007.

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, but its heavy and sulfuric nature makes it expensive and difficult to refine.

The mismanaged and neglected infrastructure in Venezuela also means that it will take a lot of investment to make it a major player in the global market again.