1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose the proposed Venezuelan oil deal and to demand full disclosure about whether President Trump, members of his family, political allies, donors, business associates, or administration officials could benefit financially from the arrangement. The reported proposal raises serious legal, ethical, financial, and national security concerns. The administration has not publicly disclosed the complete agreement, its financing, beneficial owners, valuation, duration, termination provisions, or the identities of all contractors and intermediaries. No transaction involving Venezuela’s national resources should proceed without comprehensive disclosure, independent review, and meaningful congressional oversight. Long-term foreign control of Venezuelan oil resources under conditions of political and economic vulnerability could deprive the Venezuelan people of meaningful control over their own national resources. The proposal also raises concerns that politically connected individuals could benefit from an arrangement negotiated without transparent competitive bidding or adequate public consent. I am especially concerned about any proposal to give the Pentagon, or any other Defense Department component, an ownership stake in a Venezuelan oil venture. The United States should not imitate systems like those in Iran and China, in which military organizations control commercial enterprises or use national security institutions to obtain economic stakes in foreign resources. The Pentagon’s mission is national defense, not ownership of oil companies or foreign energy assets. Giving the Defense Department equity in a foreign oil project exceeds its statutory authority. It could expose taxpayers to commercial and environmental liabilities, create conflicts between defense policy and commercial returns, and blur the line between military power and private resource extraction. It would also establish a dangerous precedent for using the Defense Department as an investment vehicle in foreign industries. The proposal appears to rely on an enormous investment commitment for which no credible financing plan has been made public. It could also bind future Venezuelan governments to long-term terms negotiated during a period of political uncertainty. Please oppose this deal unless and until the full agreement is released and shown to clearly benefit the Venezuelan people, to whom these resources belong. All beneficial ownership and financial relationships should be disclosed. Congress must review and, where required by law, authorize any government participation. Regardless of the proposal’s other terms, you must oppose any structure that gives the Pentagon an ownership stake, veto rights, preferential access to oil, or any other direct commercial interest in Venezuelan energy assets.