U.S. Races to Sell Venezuelan Oil, Transforming Ties With Former Foe NYT | Top Stories Anatoly Kurmanaev 15 January 2026 at 06:02 U.S. officials brokered the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Venezuelan oil to stabilize the country’s economy after capturing its president. © The New York TimesAn oil jack in Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt, the country’s main crude producing area.