Donald Trump has seized control of Venezuela's oil after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The US president declared, “The oil companies are going to go in, they are going to spend money, we are going to take back the oil, frankly, we should’ve taken back a long time ago.” Trump envisions US firms spending billions to fix Venezuela's oil infrastructure and boost production from about 1 million barrels a day toward its 1970s peak of 3.7 million barrels. However, experts warn this plan would be "terrible for the climate." Producing more oil means more carbon pollution, with a rise to 1.5 million barrels a day potentially causing emissions higher than those of the UK or Brazil. Paasha Mahdavi, a University of California professor, noted Venezuela's extra-heavy crude is highly polluting. John Sterman of MIT adds, "If oil production goes up, climate change will get worse sooner, and everybody loses, including the people of Venezuela." Increasing output also requires massive investment and faces political risk. Venezuela's oil production has dropped sharply due to sanctions and mismanagement since Maduro took power. Experts say billions of dollars and years are needed to restore high output, with heavy crude extraction being costly and complex. While Chevron and ExxonMobil might consider investing, no major US oil company has confirmed plans yet. Critics accuse Trump of pursuing fossil fuel-driven imperialism that harms the climate and local people. Elizabeth Bast from Oil Change International said, "The Venezuelan people, not US oil executives, must shape their country’s future." Expanding Venezuela's oil threatens global efforts to fight climate change and delay renewable progress. As Mahdavi stated, any such expansion would be "terrible for the climate, terrible for the environment."