Secret phone call revealed that turned a wanted oilman into Trump's partner
A single phone call in March turned a wealthy Venezuelan oilman wanted abroad into the Trump administration's newest business partner, according to new reporting.
According to a Friday Washington Post article, President Donald Trump's former special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, reached out to Alejandro Betancourt, a Venezuelan oil magnate running his operations from Britain.
The Trump administration wanted a piece of his company, North American Blue Energy Partners, according to The Post. In exchange, Betancourt would have to surrender some ownership and let the Trump administration seat its own people on his board....
Sep 04, 2026