We are providing a brief update on the latest developments in the US sanctions targeting Venezuela:
- On January 4, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US intends to maintain a quarantine on vessels transporting oil to and from the country. Secretary Rubio stated that “we will continue to enforce our sanctions . . . until such time as changes are made.”
- On January 7, 2026, following President Trump’s announcement of an energy deal to acquire Venezuelan oil, the US Department of Energy issued this Fact Sheet regarding the marketing and sale of Venezuelan crude oil and oil products. The Fact Sheet includes these sanctions-related announcements:
- “The United States is selectively rolling back sanctions to enable the transport and sale of Venezuelan crude and oil products to global markets.”
- “As part of the significant modernization, expansion, and upgrading required, the U.S. will authorize the import of select oil field equipment, parts, and services to immediately offset decades of production decline and drive near-term growth. This will involve technology, expertise, and investment from American and other international energy partners.”
To date, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has not published any regulatory changes, general licenses, or licensing policies on its website that change current US sanctions.
We continue to closely monitor Venezuela sanctions developments and will provide updates on this blog. Please reach out to the authors or any member of our US sanctions team if you have any questions.
The authors acknowledge the assistance of Sophia Zhang with the preparation of this blog post.
