Washington Wants Venezuela's Gold Next, Just Days After Claiming Its Oil — REPORT

Miners work at an artisal gold mine in Las Brisas de Cuyuni, near the town of Las Claritas, Bolivar state, Venezuela, on June 11, 2026. Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil reserves, also has deposits of gold, diamonds, bauxite, coltan and rare earths, but much of its mining areas notably the 112,000 sq km Mining Arc located in remote regions far from major cities is controlled by armed gangs or guerrilla groups. (Credit: Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)

• White House officials are drafting a possible executive order to widen U.S. companies' access to Venezuelan gold, iron, bauxite and nickel, though one official says signing it isn't urgent because current law already covers investors.
• The push lands eleven days after President Trump said the U.S. had locked up majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves.
• The Treasury Department already cleared state miner Minerven to ship up to a metric ton of gold to trading house Trafigura, a shipment worth roughly $100 million.
• Researchers warn that much of Venezuela's mineral data is outdated and that armed factions still control large stretches of the Orinoco Mining Arc.

Eleven days after Trump announced the U.S. had claimed majority control of Venezuela's oil, his administration is already circling the country's gold.