State Department warns US citizens to leave Venezuela

U.S. sanctions on Venezuela are under consideration to be lifted as soon as next week to facilitate oil sales, a senior U.S. official told ABC News Saturday.

The official said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has accepted meetings with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to discuss their re-engagement with Venezuela.

The official also confirmed roughly $5 billion worth of Venezuela's currently frozen IMF Special Drawing Rights monetary assets could be deployed to help rebuild the country's economy.

"The United States Treasury is fully committed to supporting President Trump's efforts on behalf of the people of Venezuela," a Treasury Department Spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News.

Reuters was the first to report the plans, citing an interview with Bessent.

This comes after President Donald Trump gathered a group of top oil executives at the White House on Friday, aiming to strike a deal for them to invest billions to rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry.  

-ABC News' Selina Wang

The State Department warned U.S. citizens in Venezuela Saturday to leave immediately

"There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States. Remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road," the agency said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombia issued a more detailed alert reaffirming that the U.S. has a Level Four "do not travel warning" for Venezuela, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

The Venezuelan government will “initiate an exploratory diplomatic process” with the U.S. “aimed at re-establishing diplomatic missions in both countries,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement posted on Telegram Friday.

This will be done “with the purpose of addressing the consequences of the aggression and kidnapping” of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores and with the goal of “addressing a working agenda of mutual interest,” the Venezuelan government said in the statement.

As a part of these efforts, a delegation of diplomatic officials from the U.S. will arrive in Venezuela “to conduct technical and logistical assessments,” and a delegation of Venezuelan diplomats will be sent to the U.S. “to carry out the corresponding tasks,” the Venezuelan government said. A team from the State Department arrived in Caracas on Friday, U.S. officials told ABC News.

“Venezuela will confront this aggression through diplomatic channels,” with the goal of the “restoration of international law and the preservation of peace,” the statement added.

-ABC News' Ismario Rodriguez Perez

A team from the State Department arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday, U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News.

The visit comes less than a week after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and it comes as the Trump administration is considering reopening its embassy in Caracas which has been shuttered since March 2019, when the Maduro government severed diplomatic ties with the first Trump administration.

The team dispatched on Friday consists of U.S. diplomatic and security personnel from the "Venezuela Affairs Unit," which is based in Colombia, according to a U.S. official.

The acting U.S. ambassador to Colombia, John McNamara, is a part of the team there “to conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations.”

A senior State Department official said Monday the department was “making preparations to allow for a reopening” of its embassy in Venezuela “should the president make that decision.”

-ABC News' Mariam Khan and Luis Martinez