Democrats say the president cannot take money from the proceeds of seized oil and control it himself, calling it a ‘slush fund’ that would fly in the face of the Constitution.

The U.S. carried out operations Wednesday to seize two Venezuela-linked tankers, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. has "tremendous leverage" over the country.

Despite heavy sanctions, payment apps that Americans use also help Venezuelans buy groceries.

For years, some firms on Wall Street have been holding on to underwater bonds from Venezuela hoping a political shift, an economic rebound, or an end to oil sanctions could help them recoup some of their losses buying Venezuelan debt.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the U.S. has a three-phase plan for Venezuela, with an initial emphasis on stabilizing the country.

The U.S. has begun marketing Venezuelan oil and all proceeds from its sale will initially settle in U.S.-controlled accounts at globally recognized banks, the Department of Energy said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Digital publication Project Brazen reported Saturday that Venezuela could hold an estimated $60 billion worth of Bitcoin. Additional intelligence reports allege that ousted President Nicolas Maduro and his associates accrued Bitcoin via three channels: a gold swap overseen by Interior Minister Alex Saab in 2018,