How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money
Published . Updated .
Key takeaways
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The new Democratic congress will now start to focus on Trump’s rampant corruption – and one of the first questions must be what’s happened to
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- USO United States Oil Fund
United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR
Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- BWET Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF
Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story.
- XOM ExxonMobil Holdings
ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- CVX Chevron
Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- COP ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- SHEL Shell
Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- FRO Frontline
Frontline (deep sea foreign transportation of freight): tanker owners earn more when more crude has to move by sea. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USO | +5.62% | -2.06% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| XLE | +9.12% | +3.08% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| BWET | +35.08% | +5.02% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| XOM | +8.37% | +2.16% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| CVX | +7.15% | +2.05% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| COP | +7.74% | +0.44% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| SHEL | +5.91% | +2.77% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| FRO | +14.63% | +6.76% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money The New European
Source: The New European
United States Oil Fund (USO) compared with energy stocks (XLE) since 8 Nov 2026
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) | three days earlier | +5.02% | final price |
| Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) | five days earlier | +35.08% | final price |
| Conocophillips (COP) | three days earlier | +0.44% | final price |
| Conocophillips (COP) | five days earlier | +7.74% | final price |
| Chevron (CVX) | three days earlier | +2.05% | final price |
| Chevron (CVX) | five days earlier | +7.15% | final price |
| Frontline (FRO) | three days earlier | +6.76% | final price |
| Frontline (FRO) | five days earlier | +14.63% | final price |
| Shell (SHEL) | three days earlier | +2.77% | final price |
| Shell (SHEL) | five days earlier | +5.91% | final price |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | three days earlier | -2.06% | final price |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | five days earlier | +5.62% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) | three days earlier | +3.08% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) | five days earlier | +9.12% | final price |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | three days earlier | +2.16% | final price |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | five days earlier | +8.37% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Pete Sessions sold ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 14 Oct 2026. That is 25 days before publication. Filed 27 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) (jointly held), worth $100,001 - $250,000 on 31 Aug 2026. That is 69 days before publication. Filed 25 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Pete Sessions sold Chevron (CVX), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 14 Oct 2026. That is 25 days before publication. Filed 27 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Chevron (CVX) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 23 Sep 2026. That is 46 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar bought Chevron (CVX), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 2 Sep 2026. That is 67 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Conocophillips (COP) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 26 Aug 2026. That is 74 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Conocophillips (COP) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Aug 2026. That is 76 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Conocophillips (COP), worth $1,000,001 - $5,000,000 on 21 Aug 2026. That is 79 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Who collects and who pays in energy
Companies tied to this story
- USO United States Oil Fund
In “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money,” United States Oil Fund (USO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- XLE Select Sector Spdr Tr
In “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money,” Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- BWET Amplify Commodity Trust
Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money.” Reason on file: Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story
- XOM ExxonMobil Holdings
For “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money,” ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- CVX Chevron
Chevron (CVX) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money.” Reason on file: Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- COP Conocophillips
In “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money,” Conocophillips (COP) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- SHEL Shell
Shell (SHEL) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money.” Reason on file: Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- FRO Frontline
Frontline (FRO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money.” Reason on file: Frontline (deep sea foreign transportation of freight): tanker owners earn more when more crude has to move by sea. Linked by “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story
United States Oil Fund (USO) and the energy link
United States Oil Fund (USO) is the company in “How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money,” the 8 Nov 2026 Energy story.
United States Oil Fund (USO) is on the page because United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
A second company, Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE), is listed for a different reason: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
Dates and price levels for United States Oil Fund (USO)
BWET traded between 788.51 and 1047.07 across 17 sessions. The latest close on file is 907.20. USO traded between 143.02 and 171.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 148.41. XLE traded between 63.05 and 70.15 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 66.70.
How solid the energy case looks
46 out of 100
“How Trump stole Venezuela’s oil money” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies.