The Trump administration has removed the remaining enriched uranium, a move seen as a nuclear victory for the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, the removal “sends another signal to the world of a restored and renewed Venezuela.”
“The safe removal of all enriched uranium from Venezuela sends another signal to the world of a restored and renewed Venezuela,” Brandon Williams, NNSA Administrator, said in a statement. “Thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership, the dedicated teams on the ground completed in months what would have normally taken years.”
To secure the material, the NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) removed about 30 pounds of uranium from the RV-1 reactor. The team then transported the materials 100 miles to a Venezuelan port, where it was then transferred to a carrier from the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Transport Solutions.
The move follows Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s travels to Venezuela in February. His trip involved “discussions with interim authorities to advance the Administration’s three-phase plan: stabilization, recovery and reconciliation, and transition,” the U.S. Embassy in Caracas said. Wright also traveled to see “Chevron’s facilities and Venezuela’s oil fields firsthand.”
In March, the United States and Venezuela restored their diplomatic relationship. “The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations. This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela,” the State Department said at the time. “Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”
