President Trump’s special envoy Ric Grenell “blindsided” administration officials earlier this week by taking a private jet to Antigua without prior authorization to pick up an American held for the past six months by Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, The Post can exclusively reveal.
Grenell announced Tuesday that he had flown to Antigua to bring Air Force veteran Joe St. Clair back to the United States, posting a picture of the two winging it back to Washington, DC.
But the 58-year-old had gone around Trump’s back to do so, an informed administration source told The Post, saying: “Grenell blindsided the president and the White House.”
Insiders believe Grenell’s trip was a Hail Mary attempt to pressure Trump to extend Chevron’s license to import Venezuelan oil — which is set to expire May 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Wednesday on X.
The envoy’s freelancing briefly threatened House passage of the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” with three South Florida Republicans — Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez — refusing to give their backing if the Chevron license was extended, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
The congressional drama was first reported Friday by Axios, and the bill ultimately cleared the House 215-214, with all three Floridians voting “yea.”
In February, Trump revoked all licenses to operate US-based businesses in Venezuela, expressing frustration with Maduro, whose government declared him the winner of last year’s presidential election without releasing vote tallies or otherwise providing proof.
“We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement, dated November 26, 2022, and also having to do with Electoral conditions within Venezuela, which have not been met by the Maduro regime,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Feb. 26.
“Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to,” he added.
On March 24, the president doubled down, issuing an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on any country that imports Venezuelan oil.
Ahead of Grenell’s Caribbean jaunt on Tuesday, he claimed on former White House strategist Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast that Trump would extend the May 27 deadline an additional 60 days after Maduro showed willingness to work with the White House by releasing St. Clair.
“President Trump authorized that extension if, if we were able to get some progress, if we were able to build some confidence, if we were able to do that today,” Grenell told Bannon. “So that extension will be granted.”
Grenell also talked up Chevron’s presence in Venezuela, telling Bannon: “We want to put America first and do what’s best for America. That means making sure that the Chinese do not take the Venezuelan oil.”
The envoy’s statement caused widespread confusion, with reporters on Thursday asking State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce to “explain the discrepancy.”
“The Secretary … put up a tweet making it clear where we stand on Chevron, which is a license which is due to expire in May,” she said. “What I will speak to is not what others have said, but certainly the people who are in charge of the nature of what we are doing, and that is Secretary Rubio, making it clear that that license is going to expire.”
“So there’s no confusion. I think many people on every issue can have a lot of opinions, but I think clearly who we look to are the people who have the power to have the impact and who make the decision, and of course this is at the direction of President Trump, as well.”
The State Department told The Post in a statement Wednesday that the “Biden-era oil and gas licenses … benefitted Maduro’s regime and lined the pockets of his cronies,” explaining that the administration would continue to “deny any funding the Maduro regime uses to oppress the Venezuelan people. ”
“This termination executes on the President’s directive and cuts off financial lifelines for a regime that has consistently stolen elections, pillaged from its people, and colluded with our enemies.”
Grenell, who had sought the secretary of state position before Trump selected Rubio, did not respond to a request for comment.
