President Trump Says Venezuela Took U.S. Oil, Calls for Return

The evidence from multiple sources, including those with high authority and high relevance, consistently supports the statement that Venezuela took possession of oil-related assets owned by United States entities. A highly relevant source directly states that Venezuela's 2007 nationalization involved the 'legal expropriation of assets from U.S. companies like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips,' which led to disputes over compensation. This is corroborated by another source, which notes that President Hugo Chávez 'unilaterally altered the terms of the joint ventures,' effectively forcing foreign companies into minority partnerships and giving the state-owned company, PDVSA, majority control. The Council on Foreign Relations and Britannica provide the essential background, confirming the presence of international oil companies in Venezuela and the country's history of nationalization. While some sources have low authority (social media posts), their content is consistent with the high-authority sources and provides specific, corroborating details about the affected US companies (ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips) and the mechanism of the takeover (nationalization, forced changes to joint ventures). There is no conflicting evidence among the provided sources. The act of expropriating assets and seizing majority control of oil projects is a clear form of 'taking possession.'