The senior oil trader involved in the first sale of Venezuelan crude to the United States had previously donated to Donald Trump's re-election campaign and attended a White House meeting last week. John Addison, a senior trader at Vitol who contributed approximately $6 million to a political action committee supporting Trump's re-election, participated in the company's efforts to secure a $250 million Venezuelan crude oil transaction. This deal initiated President Trump's controversial plan to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. According to OpenSecrets' donor database, Addison's political contributions included a $5 million donation to Maga Inc. in October 2024, along with over $1 million donated to two other pro-Trump political action committees. During a high-profile industry meeting at the White House last Friday, Addison, alongside Ben Marshall, head of Vitol's U.S. operations, addressed Trump; Vitol was the only company with two executives in attendance. At the meeting, Addison assured Trump that Vitol would secure the "best price" for Venezuelan oil on behalf of the United States, "to ensure your leverage over the Venezuelans gets you the outcome you want." Vitol stated that Addison's donations were his personal actions; these contributions have made him one of the most generous Trump supporters in the Houston area. Separately, two informed sources revealed that another global commodities trader, Trafigura, also purchased $250 million worth of Venezuelan crude oil. According to OpenSecrets data, the company spent $525,000 on U.S. lobbying efforts between 2024 and 2025. An official from the U.S. Department of Energy stated that both Vitol and Trafigura are among the world's largest energy traders and were selected because they were "willing and able to move quickly on these initial transactions." "As sales continue, the Department of Energy will keep exploring all options," the official added. Vitol and Trafigura will resell the Venezuelan crude oil purchased from the United States to their respective clients. A government official mentioned that Washington had requested that "the majority" of the oil be sold to U.S. buyers, though Vitol and Trafigura declined to comment on whether any resale restrictions existed. Vitol's U.S. operations are headquartered in Houston. The official indicated that additional sales of Venezuelan crude are expected "in the coming days and weeks." U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on Thursday that the price at which the U.S. is selling Venezuelan oil is approximately 30% higher than the price charged by the Maduro government three weeks prior. The oil industry has been a significant source of campaign contributions for Trump; during a meeting with executives at Mar-a-Lago in May 2024, he promised to remove regulatory barriers if they supported his campaign. Chevron is the only U.S. oil major with long-term operations in Venezuela, having spent $9.2 million on lobbying in 2024 and donated $10 million to campaign efforts, primarily supporting Republicans. Like peers such as ExxonMobil, Chevron also contributed to Trump's inauguration. Chevron is currently negotiating with U.S. authorities, seeking an amendment to its license this week to enable increased production and export of Venezuelan oil.
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