The Trump administration announced that it had successfully removed 13.5 kilograms (29.8 pounds) of enriched uranium from Venezuela. The move comes amid a thaw in relations with Caracas following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
The US Energy Department described the operation as "a victory for America, Venezuela and the world," noting that it was carried out "thanks to President Trump's determined leadership." Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said that "the safe removal of all enriched uranium from Venezuela sends another message to the world about a restored and renewed Venezuela."
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the operation had taken place, saying the uranium had been "safely and securely transported by land and sea from South America to North America, as part of a complex and sensitive operation." The uranium was moved in a special container to the port of Puerto Cabello, where it was loaded onto a British cargo vessel that brought it to US shores.
The move comes amid a thaw in relations between the Trump administration and Caracas, following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. Since then, Trump has recognized Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, as interim president, and numerous senior US officials have visited the country, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The US Embassy in Caracas has reopened, and a US commercial flight landed in Venezuela for the first time in more than seven years.
Venezuela's uranium originated in a research reactor built in the 1950s together with the US, which ceased operating in 1991. Since then, the nuclear fuel had remained at the site as surplus material, until it was recently removed and transferred to a US Energy Department facility in South Carolina. The material comprised about 13.5 kilograms of uranium enriched to a level above 20%, which the IAEA considers the upper limit for enrichment for civilian purposes.
By contrast, Iran holds a stockpile of about 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60%, very close to the 90% level considered weapons-grade, according to an IAEA report from February 2026. According to an earlier IAEA report from May 2025, before Operation Lion's Roar, Iran's total stockpile stood at about 9,247 kilograms (20,386 pounds) of uranium enriched to various levels.
