US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with US oil company executives in the East Room of the White House on January 9, 2026. SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 9 declaring a national emergency to block courts or private creditors from seizing Venezuelan oil revenues held in U.S. Treasury accounts, saying any legal loss of control over the funds would threaten U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives.
The order, titled “Safeguarding Venezuelan Oil Revenue for the Good of the American and Venezuelan People,” establishes a legal firewall around proceeds derived from Venezuelan oil sales that are deposited in designated Treasury accounts, known as the Foreign Government Deposit Funds.
