Yes, the U.S. used to get a significant amount of oil from Venezuela, but right now direct imports are extremely limited and disrupted by sanctions and recent tanker blockades.

Quick Scoop

  • Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but its production and exports have collapsed compared with past decades.
  • The U.S. was once the main buyer of Venezuelan crude, but sanctions and enforcement actions largely cut off that flow and pushed most exports toward China instead.
  • As of early 2026, U.S. actions like tanker seizures and a blockade around Venezuela’s oil shipments have further reduced Venezuela’s exports and made any direct supply to the U.S. highly uncertain.

Do “we” get oil from Venezuela?

If “we” means the United States:

  • Historically, U.S. refiners imported a lot of Venezuelan heavy crude, especially for Gulf Coast refineries designed to handle that type of oil.
  • After multiple rounds of sanctions and now a tanker blockade plus cargo seizures, direct U.S. imports are effectively choked off, with Venezuela’s export volumes falling and most remaining shipments going to China.

If “we” means the world:

  • Venezuela still exports hundreds of thousands of barrels per day, but that is only about 1 percent of global supply and far below its potential.
  • Ongoing political instability, mismanagement, and sanctions mean Venezuela’s huge reserves are not translating into a major, reliable source of oil for global markets right now.

What’s happening lately?

  • Recent U.S. military and sanctions moves, including a blockade of tankers entering or leaving Venezuela and seizure of some cargoes, have sharply reduced Venezuela’s December export volumes compared with prior months.
  • Despite talk about being “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil sector, foreign companies face high political, legal, and security risks, so large-scale new investment has not yet materialized.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.