Trump Officials Grant Venezuelan Oil Deals to Firms with Bribery Pasts

• Trump administration officials awarded Venezuelan oil sale contracts to Vitol and Trafigura, firms previously implicated in bribery schemes.
• The confidential licenses were granted after the Trump administration reportedly gutted the Justice Department's foreign corrupt practices unit.
• The deal allows Vitol and Trafigura to buy millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil, previously blocked by US sanctions, following the ousting of Nicolás Maduro.
• Court documents reveal a Vitol trader donated $6 million to Trump's political committees, and both firms have faced significant penalties for bribery.
• Vitol claims enhanced anti-corruption compliance, while Trafigura states it's facilitating sales at the US government's request.

Why It Matters: Trump officials approved Venezuelan oil deals with firms previously tied to bribery, raising transparency concerns.