Reuters: US Vice President JD Vance's relationship with Vitol trader John Edison, a financial backer early in his political career, reportedly helped the commodities giant secure a lucrative license to market Venezuelan oil following the capture of Nicolás Medros.
Vance vouched for Edison to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who contacted the dealer on Jan. 5 to offer Vitol the opportunity. Within days, Vitol and rival Trafigora obtained licenses to sell Venezuelan crude oil, earning hundreds of millions of dollars. Edison and Vance's office denied that the two met in Montana shortly before the US operation, while the Energy Department denied that Vance and Wright discussed oil sales in Venezuela.