More from the cited article ... But Trump has said the U.S. is "making a lot of money" from Venezuelan oil, and the U.S. Department of Energy has said the funds "will be disbursed for the benefit of the American people and the Venezuelan people." Economists told the newspaper that any evidence of a recovery in Venezuela six months after Maduro's capture remains "relatively muted," suggesting a significant share of the $13 billion seized by the U.S. may not have made its way back to the country.