The U.S. has completed the transfer of $500 million from an initial Venezuelan oil sale, with the final $200 million sent this week. The funds were temporarily held in Qatar and will be disbursed "for the benefit of the Venezuelan people" at the U.S. government's discretion. Senator Marco Rubio called the measure a short-term effort to stabilize Venezuela and maintain basic services. Officials plan to channel future proceeds into a U.S.-based fund with controlled disbursement procedures.
US Returns Full $500 Million From Initial Venezuelan Oil Sale; Final $200M Transferred
FILE PHOTO: U.S. and Venezuelan flags appear in this illustration created on December 2, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The United States has returned the full $500 million from the initial Venezuelan oil sale, with the final $200 million transferred to Caracas this week, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.
The funds had been held in a temporary account in Qatar while the parties put safeguards in place to ensure the proceeds would be used to support essential services. According to the official, the money is to be "disbursed for the benefit of the Venezuelan people at the discretion of the U.S. government."
Senator Marco Rubio, testifying on Capitol Hill last week, described U.S. involvement in the sale as a short-term measure aimed at stabilizing Venezuela and keeping basic government functions running.
"So in essence, we allowed Venezuela to use their own oil to generate revenue to pay teachers and firefighters and police officers and keep the function of government operating so we didn’t have systemic collapse," Rubio said.
Where the Money Was Held and What Comes Next
The official said the proceeds were temporarily held in Qatar to ensure Venezuela received funds it needed for day-to-day operations. For future oil sales, the long-term goal is to move proceeds into a U.S.-based fund and to authorize expenditures for Venezuelan government obligations or agency expenses under agreed procedures and oversight.
U.S. officials framed the arrangement as narrowly targeted and temporary, intended to provide stability and prevent a breakdown in public services while mechanisms for oversight and controlled disbursement are established.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; editing and factual clarifications by the editorial team.)
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