Trump officials flew on 1st non-stop commercial flight from US to Venezuela in years

Trump administration officials were on the first nonstop commercial flight between the U.S. and Venezuela in seven years when it took off Thursday from Miami , bound for Caracas. National Energy Dominance Council's Jarrod Agen led the U.S. team, and Venezuela's newly appointed Ambassador to the U.S., Félix Plasencia, was also on board the American Airlines flight. Agen told CBS News that a White House team traveling to Caracas plans to push along some agreements between U.S. companies and Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA and some of its mining companies. HKN Energy, a company backed by Ross Perot Jr., as well as Hunt Energy, are among the new American entrants to the Venezuelan market. Agen expected to meet with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, too. A ribbon is cut following the arrival of an American Eagle, operating a regional flight for American Airlines, aircraft at Simon Bolivar International Airport in La Guaira, La Guaira state, Venezuela on April 30, 2026. Federico PARRA /AFP via The trip comes nearly four months after U.S. forces seized Rodríguez's predecessor, Nicolás Maduro , and his wife in a daring special forces raid. Both were extradited to New York to face drug trafficking charges and have since pleaded not guilty. Since Maduro's removal from power, the administration has sought to incentivize U.S. investment in Venezuela's oil sector , rolling back sanctions to allow American oil companies to spend on infrastructure and production. …