Real reason Behind Trump Attack on Venezuela - Jailaxmi Jha

 

What exactly happened?

The United States launched targeted military strike and a special force operation. President Donald Trump announced that the Venezuela President Nicolaas Maduro was captured. He was taken out of Venezuela. The operation REPORTEDLY INVOLVED ELITE U.S. special forces air support, and naval assets in the Caribbean.

The US claims that Venezuela has become a major transit hub for cocaine. Drug shipments move from Colombia then Venezuela then Caribbean and then it reaches to U.S. Maduro has been indicted in U.S. courts on charges including drug trafficking narco-terrorism and money laundering.

Official Justification (U.S. Narrative)

• The U.S. claims Maduro ran a narco-terrorist state and was deeply linked to drug trafficking networks. This was the legal label used to justify action.

 Strategic and Economic Drivers

Experts and analysts point to other major forces behind the operation:

A. Venezuela’s Oil Reserves

• Venezuela holds the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world (over ~300 billion barrels), far above Saudi Arabia.
• Despite huge reserves, output had collapsed to under ~1 million barrels per day due to mismanagement, sanctions, and underinvestment—a tiny share of global supply.

B. U.S. Energy Security and Oil Market Influence

• Controlling or influencing Venezuela’s oil industry could give the U.S. more leverage in global energy markets, particularly against Russia, Iran, and OPEC+.
• After the capture, the U.S. announced its first oil sale worth ~$500 million from Venezuelan stockpiles and said it would oversee Venezuela and its oil assets temporarily.

C. Geopolitical Rivalries

• Venezuela’s ties to China, Russia, and Iran were seen by Washington as a strategic challenge in the Western Hemisphere.
• The operation weakens those alliances and pulls Venezuela more toward Western-aligned economic structures.

 

3. How This Affects Oil Control and the Economy

 Immediate Oil Market Reactions

• Venezuela’s actual global oil market share remains small due to low production, so short-term price shocks are limited, but risk and uncertainty increased volatility.
• Oil traders consider geopolitical risk premiums, which can push prices up even if physical supply changes little.

 Control of Venezuela’s Oil Sector

Before the capture:

• Venezuela’s oil industry was run by state company PDVSA, tightly controlled by Maduro’s government and constrained by U.S. sanctions.

After the capture:

• The U.S. aims to manage or influence Venezuela’s oil production and export decisions, potentially reopening markets to Western companies and dismantling parts of the old sanctions’ regime.
• International oil firms are pushing for legal reforms to allow them to invest and operate more directly.

 Economic and Political Stability

For Venezuela itself:

Oil is the backbone of the economy; improving production and exports is vital for recovery from years of collapse and hyperinflation.  Stability matters: without political clarity and security, foreign investment will stay cautious and output won’t rebound quickly