Trump Team Weighs Contractors for Venezuela Oil Security (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: The Trump administration is preparing to use private military contractors to protect Venezuelan oil and energy resources instead of sending U.S. troops into the country. That's according to two sources familiar with these conversations, setting up a potential boon for these private firms that have experience in this space and ties to the administration. The jostling among these contracting companies has begun with active outreach to the U.S. government, and there is a high upside for them, both when it comes to their experience, but also the potential payday. During the Iraq war, the U.S. spent at least $138 billion on private security, logistics, and reconstruction contractors. Now, it's too early in Venezuela for any of these agreements to be inked, but the Pentagon recently sent out a request for information to some of these firms to explore the contractor's capability to provide support to potential U.S. military installations or U.S. military interest in the region. That's according to a source we spoke with. President Trump hasn't counted out the possibility of U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela, but sending in these contracting companies could fill the potential void, particularly given sources are saying that Trump doesn't want the U.S. military involved in the long term in the country. Now, turning to private contractors is sure to invite scrutiny, and that's because of the track record of controversy and also challenges when it comes to accountability. Look at Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which received Trump administration support, was widely criticized by humanitarian groups for using armed personnel from a U.S. security firm at its site that was distributing humanitarian support.