Decree signed by the president prevents seizure and lawsuits over revenue held in the US Treasury
The President of the United States, (Republican Party), signed on Friday (9.Jan.2026) an executive decree that aims to protect revenue from the sale of Venezuelan oil held in US Treasury accounts from seizures or lawsuits. Here’s the of the statement (PDF – 752 kB, in English).
According to the White House, the measure declares a national state of emergency to prevent these resources, which include revenue from sales of oil and related products, from being blocked or confiscated by creditors, or court decisions, preserving them for government uses. The government claims the funds are the sovereign property of Venezuela but are in the custody of the United States “for governmental and diplomatic purposes, not subject to private claims”.
The decree explicitly prohibits any seizure, judgment, court order, or enforcement that could affect these funds. The new rule replaces previous orders that regulated these revenues.
The White House justifies the measure as part of US national security and foreign policy objectives. The government argues that the seizure of these resources by third parties would undermine crucial efforts to promote economic and political stability in Venezuela. Furthermore, the seizure would weaken attempts to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and narcotics into the United States.
In the official statement, the government also highlights recent actions against “threats” to regional security. Among the measures, they mention the classification of cartels as “terrorist organizations” and the military operations that resulted in the .
The measure takes place in a context of strong US involvement with the Venezuelan economy and politics, while Washington seeks to consolidate its influence in the region and protect strategic interests linked to energy production.
Venezuelan oil
Still on Friday (January 10), Trump that North American companies “will have the opportunity to rebuild Venezuela’s rotting energy infrastructure” and increase oil production “to levels never seen before”.
The statements were made during a meeting at the White House with representatives of some of the largest oil companies in the world – such as Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Chevron.
On Tuesday (Jan 6), Trump said that the Venezuelan government had agreed to sell 30 to 50 million barrels to the US. “One of the things the United States will get out of this is even lower energy prices.”said the Republican during the meeting.
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