The Trump administration on Friday announced that it would lift some sanctions on Venezuelan oil in the wake of Washington's extraction of President Nicolás Maduro and his replacement's efforts to de-escalate tensions with the U.S.

American special forces extracted Maduro from the country earlier this month and brought him to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has since assumed authority.

The Treasury Department this week issued a general license for American firms to do limited business with Venezuelan oil firms. The move comes as Trump has sought to revitalize Venezuelan production, albeit under the auspices of a U.S.-friendly regime.

Washington has sought an eventual transition of power in Caracas away from the remnants of the Maduro government, though the timeline for such a move remains ambiguous.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.