WASHINGTON — Failing to bring Iran’s nuclear program under control, the administration of Donald Trump has seized highly enriched uranium from the South American nation of Venezuela.
The U.S. Energy Department announced Friday that under President Trump’s “decisive leadership,” 13.5 kilograms (about 30 pounds) of uranium had been removed from an old research reactor in Caracas. Washington views the joint operation by Britain, the United States and Venezuela as a major victory for the United States and the world.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the uranium was transported from South America to North America by land and sea through a highly complex and sensitive operation. The radioactive material, collected from a location 15 kilometers from Caracas, is now stored at a U.S. Energy Department complex in South Carolina.
Brandon Williams, administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, described the step as a sign of a “recovered and renewed” Venezuela.
On January 3, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was issued a disputed arrest order, the White House sought to reset long-hostile relations with Caracas. Critics said it is disappointing that the Trump administration bypassed exiled opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado to negotiate with Rodriguez. Since the war with Iran began in February, Washington had sought to seize 408 kilograms of highly enriched uranium held by Tehran, but Trump has yet to succeed in that effort. By comparison, many analysts said Venezuela’s achievement is insignificant.
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