WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) – The top Democrat on a U.S. House investigative committee has asked global trading houses Vitol and Trafigura about any correspondence with the Trump administration before the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s leader, to determine, he said on Thursday, who benefits from that action.
Representative Robert Garcia asked in a letter to Vitol CEO Russell Hardy and Trafigura CEO Richard Holtum for all communications between their companies and any members of the Trump administration from January 2025 until now.
U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro early this month and the Trump administration has said it will manage Venezuela’s oil sales “indefinitely.”
Vitol and Trafigura obtained the first U.S. licenses to load and export Venezuelan oil.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The oversight committee has broad authority to investigate any matter. While Democrats do not currently control the House, President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans are in a battle to retain control of the House in November’s midterm elections.
KEY QUOTE
Garcia wrote in a letter to the companies that lawmakers on his committee are seeking “answers about the Trump Administration’s intentions regarding its sale and marketing of Venezuelan oil, as well as its intentions regarding the resulting revenue.”
“We further seek to understand the nature of any agreements your companies have made with the Trump Administration regarding Venezuelan commodities, and the role your companies hold in carrying out the Administration’s actions relating to Venezuela.”
Vitol said it had no comment and Trafigura said it was reviewing the letter.
CONTEXT
On Wednesday, a dozen House Democrats sent a separate letter to 21 companies who attended a January 9 White House meeting, including Vitol and Trafigura, about developing Venezuelan oil resources, warning them that any transaction or investment they make there faces legal and financial risks.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Robert Harvey in London; Editing by Toby Chopra and Tom Hogue)
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