Was Maduro's Capture About Oil?

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. Special Forces marks a drastic escalation in the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign, shifting from economic sanctions to direct military intervention. While the administration justifies the operation through charges of drug trafficking and regional security threats, a primary motivation is securing "total access" to Venezuela’s 300 billion barrels of oil reserves. Decades of nationalization and mismanagement by the state-run PDVSA have left the country’s infrastructure in decay, with production currently stalled at just 1% of global output. Industry expert Colin Eaton notes that despite the administration's push for U.S. energy giants like Chevron and ConocoPhillips to reinvest billions, significant hurdles remain. The heavy nature of Venezuelan crude, low global oil prices, and extreme political instability make long-term capital commitments risky, as companies require a stable legal environment that the current interim leadership under Delcy Rodriguez has yet to guarantee.