Who is Alejandro Betancourt, the controversial man behind Trumps Venezuela oil deal accused of money laundering?

President Trump’s historic Venezuela oil deal is being led by a controversial figure – Alejandro Betancourt, who has faced money-laundering accusations from nations around the world over the past decade.The deal, announced by Trump last week, will give the White House majority control over 65 billion barrels, or about 20% of Venezuela’s reserves, while the US’ own reserves dwindle amid the Middle East conflict.Betancourt’s North American Blue Energy Partners – the second-largest private oil producer in North America – will get access to 17 fields, the backing of the US military and 100-year concessions from Venezuelan authorities. The 46-year-old oil baron reportedly played a crucial role in helping the Trump administration oust Nicolas Maduro from power – and has his own checkered past, including a decade-long money-laundering probe, shady government contracts and a raid of his Spanish castle.“When you talk about controversial figure – look, guys, there’s a reality here, okay? And…you have to deal with the dynamics sometimes that are in place in order to get to where you want to go,” a US official said Tuesday during a White House-organized press call.“This is a proven operator … I’m not nominating anyone for sainthood here.What I am telling you is that this is a person that, in the past, has been helpful to the United States government.”The controversial man from Caracas – whose full name is Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López – was reportedly a critical part of the Trump administration’s mission earlier this year to capture Venezuelan dictator Maduro and his wife and fly them to New York.“No Betancourt, no energy-security deal,” a US official told Axios.

“And Maduro might still be in power if it wasn’t for him.”In late 2025, as Trump demanded Maduro step down, Betancourt spoke to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez – now the country’s interim president – to feel out whether she would take over as hi...