The assessment that the statement is 'likely true' is based on strong, consistent, and direct evidence from multiple high-authority sources. Three separate news reports from two credible outlets, TIME and The Hill, explicitly state that a Trump administration official confirmed the completion of the first sale of Venezuelan oil for $500 million. This provides direct and corroborated evidence supporting both parts of the statement.Furthermore, this claim is reinforced by strong contextual evidence. A Reuters report details a specific executive order signed by President Trump to protect revenue from the sale of Venezuelan oil held in U.S. accounts, confirming that such sales were occurring and the administration was actively managing the proceeds. A CBS News report corroborates this by explaining that U.S. officials would control money from oil sales following the seizure of tankers, establishing the administration's intent and mechanism. There is no conflicting evidence among the provided sources. The lower-relevance articles discuss different aspects of U.S.-Venezuela relations and do not contradict the specific claim about the oil sale. The high degree of consistency across multiple authoritative sources makes the statement highly credible.