Trump signs executive order blocking courts from seizing Venezuelan oil revenue

President Trump signed an executive order on January 9, 2026 declaring Venezuelan oil revenues held in U.S. Treasury foreign government deposit funds to be sovereign property not subject to private claims. The order explicitly blocked court proceedings by companies including ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil, which had filed multi-billion dollar arbitration claims over Venezuela's nationalization of their assets. Trump signed the EO the same day he met with Exxon CEO Darren Woods and other oil executives to discuss $100 billion in Venezuela investment.