Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro claims the US is escalating pressure to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves, a notion debated by US officials and energy experts. This follows recent US military actions against alleged Venezuelan oil and drug-trafficking vessels.

• Venezuela possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves at 303 billion barrels, though current output is significantly low at an estimated 860,000 barrels per day in November.
• The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, prioritizes stopping illegal drug flow from Venezuela, downplaying oil as a primary motive, while some US politicians, like Florida Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, see opportunities for American oil firms.
• Restoring Venezuela’s oil industry to former levels could require tens of billions of dollars and a decade, with challenges including OPEC membership and a changing global oil demand outlook.