The Trump administration is facing an unexpected challenge as it attempts to establish a roadmap for a Venezuela free from Nicolás Maduro’s rule: resistance from the American oil industry. Efforts to assess the industry’s willingness to re-enter Venezuela have been met with reluctance, signaling a significant hurdle for U.S. policymakers.

Reports suggest that President Trump has been informally gauging the interest of major oil companies in returning to the Venezuelan market. However, their response has been less than enthusiastic, with industry leaders reportedly making it clear to Washington that they currently have no appetite for such ventures.

This hesitation stems from a critical issue surrounding oil prices. The global abundance of cheap oil presents a complicated situation for the White House. While it enables the U.S. to adopt a firmer stance against Caracas without risking an energy crisis, the low prices also deter private companies from investing significant resources into Venezuela’s deteriorating oil infrastructure, which has been neglected since the Chávez era.

Cheap oil is a double-edged sword for the White House.

On one hand, the global supply glut allows the US to get tough on Caracas without triggering an energy crisis. On the other hand, oil is now so cheap that private companies see no reason to risk billions of dollars repairing Venezuela’s broken oil fields, which have been in shambles since the Chávez era.

‘There has been the genesis of an outreach with the industry on the potential of reentering Venezuela,’ one person familiar with the discussion told Politico. ‘But frankly, there’s not a lot of interest from the industry, in light of lower oil prices and more attractive fields globally.’

The State Department’s initiative is getting a boost from Evanan Romero, a Houston consultant with deep ties to Venezuela’s energy sector, and a former high-ranking official at a state oil company.

Romero told Politico that the Trump administration’s efforts included a meeting in Washington late November. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was reportedly there, along with Exxon and ConocoPhillips.

As the Trump administration begins laying down the groundwork for a post-Maduro Venezuela, they are hitting an unexpected roadblock: the American oil industry

On one hand, the global supply glut allows the US to get tough on Caracas without triggering an energy crisis. On the other hand, oil is now so cheap that private companies see no reason to risk billions of dollars repairing Venezuela’s broken oil fields, which have been in shambles since the Chávez era

The State Department’s initiative is getting a boost from Evanan Romero, a Houston consultant with deep ties to Venezuela’s energy sector, and a former high-ranking official at a state oil company

On Tuesday, Trump announced a maritime crackdown on ships transporting restricted Venezuelan crude. In his speech to the nation, Trump curiously did not mention the Latin American country at the center of his foreign policy. 

Posting to social media, the president demanded the immediate return of ‘Oil, Land, or any other Assets,’ framing the situation as the US reclaiming their property from an enemy government.

In response to an inquiry, Bill Turenne, Chevron’s spokesperson, passed along inquiries to the appropriate governments.

‘Chevron has operated in Venezuela for over a century, and we believe our presence continues to be a stabilizing force for the local economy, the region and US energy security,’ Turenne said in a statement.

Turenne made sure to emphasize that its Venezuelan activities strictly adhere to all legal requirements and US sanctions, emphasizing that it’s primary focus is the protection of their employees and the community.

Venezuela is reportedly bolstering the oil-trade through other countries as well. 

A bombshell report obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail also exposed a deep, clandestine network of 20 illicit oil tankers currently lurking in Caribbean waters, serving as a lifeline for the regimes of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Iran and Russia.

Some 11 ships have been directly linked to Iran’s oil trade, including the ‘Skipper’ and ‘Star Twinkle 6’, alongside nine others tied to Russian and Venezuelan operations, according to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which has spent more than 12 years tracking these elusive vessels.

The stakes could not be higher. The Skipper’s revenues reportedly fund terrorist activity by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, prop up hostile regimes and provide cut-price oil to China.

Jemima Shelley, Senior Research Analyst at UANI, has warned that this reality could lure Trump into a dangerous provocation with Iran, pointing to the strong ideological alliance forged between Maduro and the Ayatollah.

The White House did not immediately respond for comment.