"White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there was a 'long-term plan' for Venezuelan oil - after being asked what was going to happen after the 'initial tranche' of 30-50 million barrels had been transferred to the US - during her briefing in DC on Wednesday. "I won't get ahead of the plans that the President and his team are currently speaking with the interim authorities about," she said. "But rest assured, there is a long-term plan here. Secretary Rubio and the entire team are working diligently on it and this is just sort of the first action that you all are seeing." She also claimed there were 'no troops on the ground in Venezuela' but that the "president, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary." Leavitt also dismissed a 'fake report' about "the Vice President's exclusion from the operation in Venezuela" due to an "his anti interventionist ideology or political calculation." Earlier, Donald Trump stated: "I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!" The US launched strikes on Venezuela at the weekend, grabbing president Nicolas Maduro. Trump vowed to 'run' the country and send in the oil companies, warning the interim government they could suffer a fate 'worse than Maduro' if they didn't comply. It saw widespread condemnation across BRICS, the Global South and beyond."