Hours after Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces and charged with drug, weapons, and narco-terrorism offenses, US President Donald Trump shifted focus to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Trump claimed that "The oil companies are going to go in and rebuild their system," calling the nationalization of Venezuela's oil "the greatest theft in the history" of the US. He said, "They took our oil away from us." However, major US oil firms have not confirmed plans to invest heavily or reopen operations. Analysts remain skeptical about boosting Venezuela’s oil production significantly within 18 months, citing political instability and past challenges. Venezuela once had booming oil output in the late 1990s but saw declines after former president Hugo Chávez nationalized the sector and expelled foreign companies. US sanctions from 2005 to 2022 further halted investment until Chevron was allowed to resume production following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Chevron remains the only US oil company active there. History shows that removing dictators from oil-rich nations does not guarantee production surges. For example, Iraq's oil output recovered only years after the 2003 US invasion, achieving the world’s second-largest OPEC production by 2024. Libya’s oil sector, meanwhile, struggles more than a decade after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall amid ongoing conflict and dual governments controlling oil exports. Production in Libya swings with political tensions and militant actions. Trump’s vision for Venezuela’s oil revival faces tough hurdles. Experts question whether major oil players will return in force while instability continues. Yet, the lure of the world’s largest proven oil reserves remains strong.