Trump administration says it has returned over $12 billion in Venezuelan oil revenue since Maduro's ouster

The Trump administration says it has returned more than $12 billion, almost 99%, of revenue from Venezuelan oil sales since ousting then-President Nicolás Maduro in January, according to a State Department report released Thursday that names the accounting firm KPMG. Separately, Reuters reported Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance secretly met John Addison, a gasoline trader at Vitol, in Bozeman, Montana, a week before the U.S. invaded Venezuela. Reuters said they discussed how fast Venezuelan crude could be sold if the U.S. gained control of its oil, and that flight records show their planes parked together at Bozeman airport on December 27. Addison, who gave $300,000 to Vance's 2022 Senate campaign, and Vance both denied the meeting took place.

Right-leaning coverage from the Washington Times reports the $12 billion return under a headline nearly identical to AP's, and its excerpt contains no further detail. The New Republic, the left-leaning outlet, does not mention the return in its excerpt; it leads with the Vance meeting, Addison's donations and the denials, and uses loaded phrases such as "stolen crude" and "kidnapped its leader." AP, the alternative source, matches the Washington Times on the figures, attributes them to the State Department and adds the KPMG reference. The sides differ in focus: the left story centers on alleged backroom dealing, while the right and AP excerpts center on the revenue figures.