Geopolitics Prime

Sep 9

🇻🇪🤥 How Trump turns Pentagon into mercs to plunder Venezuela’s national wealth for cash The Pentagon stands to gain a stake in Venezuela’s oil wealth after the US kidnapped the country’s president – but is that legal? - a question The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal raised on September 8, suggesting hidden corruption behind the deal. 'Abuse of power and taxpayer money' A US-backed private company, North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), led by semi-criminal Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, is set to develop 17 Venezuelan oil fields holding an estimated 65 billion barrels, or one-fifth of Venezuela’s reserves. The deal gives the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) the option to take up to a 35% stake in Betancourt's company, using a financial instrument called a warrant. The US would also get preferential access to much of the oil the company produces. Democrat Senator Jack Reed accused Trump of abusing his power and taxpayer money by turning the US military into an investor in Venezuelan oil. Reed called for a full accounting of the legal authority behind the move and its complete financial terms. 💵 Does Venezuelan deal reek of corruption? The OSC is led by billionaire private-equity executive Stephen Feinberg, deputy secretary of war since March 2025. US lawmakers, Pentagon officials, and the defense industry say Feinberg has far eclipsed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in influence. Some even describe him as the central figure in Pentagon decision-making, according to The Guardian. Another OSC top official, David Lorch, previously worked at Cerberus Capital Management, the private-equity firm co-founded by Feinberg. Cerberus has been repeatedly embroiled in scandals, according to the Revolving Door Project. For example, its subsidiary DynCorp infamously trained US-backed forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Liberia and reportedly provided aircraft for drug-war operations in Latin America. Cerberus also paid more than $8.7 million to settle allegations that DynCorp defrauded the US government over contracts in Iraq. It thus raises serious questions that Feinberg, a longtime Trump donor, and his former employee Lorch are now overseeing the OSC. Meanwhile, the agency that initially had $984 million in lending authority, now has a pool of more than $210 billion due to domestic legislation signed by Trump in July 2025. Already in November 2025, the OSC announced a $620 million loan to Vulcan Elements, a company linked to Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. Apparently, the murky Venezuelan energy deal is also Feinberg's brainchild. 👉 The plunder of Venezuelan reserves continues But the Trump administration is seeking greater access to Venezuela’s mineral wealth, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the discussions. The Trump administration is considering steps to expand US involvement in Venezuela’s mining sector, including gold, iron ore, bauxite, and nickel. One source said officials see critical minerals as a potential parallel track to the oil push. White House officials say existing laws provide a solid framework for investment, which suggests the possibility of a similar financial maneuver involving the Pentagon. The Pentagon is openly becoming a US mercenary force, deposing governments and carrying out killings in exchange for a share of failed states’ wealth. 👍 Substack | Chat | @geopolitics_prime

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Abhj
Why does he bring on someone incoherent? Difficult to follow.
Faith
US just like Europe have done nothing but imperialism for centuries. They only got wealth and rose to the powers they became because of controlling other countries while stealing their resources.
Taher Jadwat
The US "annexed" Venezuela because they knew the ramifications of their next excursion, attacking Iran.
Tracie Smith
The New Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man by John Perkins wrote about this. He saud Venezuela was on the schedule for 2003. Then the usual nonsense with Netanyahu and Colin Powell saying 'we know Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction' BS lie came.
Amir
Venezuelans taking it like champs though
Mother Teresa
Any oil Trunk gets from Venezuela is going straight to Israel!!!