Authored by Ken Silva via HeadlineUSA,
The Wall Street Journal published a story Sunday about a longtime Chevron executive secretly working for the CIA—including by providing intel in the leadup to the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
According to the Journal, the former Chevron executive, Ali Moshiri, worked for the CIA as an informant since Hugo Chávez was in charge of the Venezuelan government. Moshiri stepped down from executive leadership at Chevron in 2017, but remained a consultant until 2024. He’s now a consultant for Venezuela’s state-run oil company, PdVSA.
The Journal reported that Mosrhi’s input with the CIA helped shape the decision to replace Maduro with his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, rather than ousting the entire government. Moshri reportedly advised that the opposition in Venezuela, led by María Corina Machado, did not have the popular support required to run the country.
“Moshiri told the agency that if the U.S. government tried to oust the entire Maduro regime and install the democratic opposition led by María Corina Machado it would have another quagmire like Iraq on its hands,” the Journal said, citing anonymous sources.
Moshri reportedly has had a deep relationship with President Rodriguez since Chavez died in 2013. The two brokered a deal at the time in which Chevron signed a $2 billion loan deal with PdVSA.
Trump initially canceled Chevron’s license in Venezuela when he took office last year, but the company is now back in business.
“Chevron is poised to take a key role in developing Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are the largest in the world by some estimates. It is the only major U.S. oil company positioned to quickly increase output there and has said it aims to increase its Venezuelan oil production by up to 50% within the next 18 to 24 months,” the Journal reported.
“Chevron and the few remaining Western companies there saw Rodríguez as someone they could do business with,” the Journal added.
Moshri declined to comment on his CIA connections, while Chevron said that it didn’t have anything to do with Maduro’s capture.
“Between spring of 2025 and the removal of Maduro, Chevron did not authorize anyone working for, or on behalf of, the company to engage with the CIA related to Venezuela’s leadership, including assessments of government officials or opposition leaders,” the company said.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.