Castro Demands Transparency on Venezuela Oil Fund—Forces Vote to Subpoena Trump Administration

September 15, 2026 Castro Demands Transparency on Venezuela Oil Fund—Forces Vote to Subpoena Trump Administration (Ranking Member Joaquin Castro motioned to subpoena the Trump Administration during a subcommittee hearing.) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, motioned to subpoena the Trump Administration for records regarding its Venezuelan oil deal during a House Foreign Affairs Committee Western Hemisphere Subcommittee hearing . Specifically, the motion would subpoena federal agencies and private companies for records on its deal with North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) to take equity stakes and control over 17 Venezuelan oil fields. NABEP is owned by Alejandro Betancourt, a Venezuelan businessman who made his fortune through corrupt deals with former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his regime. Republican members of the subcommittee voted unanimously against issuing the subpoena, resulting in a tied and unsuccessful vote of 6-6 along party lines. During debate on the motion, Castro underscored the need for Congress to carry out its oversight duty of the administration, saying, “This is nine months in the making. There are billions and billions of dollars at stake. Contracts have already been given out. We don't know where the money is coming or going. And there are a lot of people who are suffering—a lot of Venezuelans who are suffering, a lot of Venezuelan Americans in my home state and [Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar’s], who demand to know and want an end to the corruption in their country. That's why this motion is important. We cannot let that corruption, we cannot let Alejandro Betancourt, who's had issues in the past, completely off the hook with no oversight. We need to stand up for ourselves as a Congress, as a legislative body, as a branch of government.” Print Email Tweet