Here’s why Trump wants Venezuela’s oil

According to a news report published on January 8, 2026, US oil companies ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips have been lobbying for regime change in Venezuela for years. The report alleges that Donald Trump informed these companies before deploying the military against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The article suggests the motivation behind Trump's actions in Venezuela was related to the country's oil reserves. The location of these events is Venezuela and the United States. The report implies that the US's interest in Venezuelan oil is a key factor driving US foreign policy in the region.