Thor Halvorssen, a Venezuelan activist, called Sargeant “the American supervillain in Venezuela’s regime story” who gives priority to his personal profit above all else. But the American’s plans were upended in 2019 when the Trump administration began a pressure campaign to oust Maduro. In early 2024, he took several American oil executives down to Caracas to explore investments. The Trump administration later reinstated Chevron’s licenses. Sargeant’s influence with the Trump administration remains unclear.

Source: Wall Street Journal February 13, 2026 11:44 UTC