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US Removes Enriched Uranium from Venezuela in Nonproliferation Operation
(MENAFN) The United States has completed the removal of highly enriched uranium from a research reactor in Venezuela, transferring the material to US custody in what officials described as a nonproliferation success, according to reports.
The operation involved the extraction of about 13.5 kilograms of enriched uranium from a legacy civilian research reactor located near Caracas. The material was subsequently transported out of the country for secure processing and reuse.
US energy officials said the uranium originated from a Cold War-era research program and had remained stored at the facility long after the reactor ceased operations in the early 1990s. The material was considered surplus and subject to international nuclear security standards due to its enrichment level.
The removal was carried out through a coordinated effort involving US agencies, Venezuelan scientific authorities, international partners, and oversight from nuclear safety organizations. The transfer reportedly included secure packaging, land transport to a port, and shipment by specialized nuclear transport vessels to a US facility.
Officials framed the operation as part of broader efforts to reduce the global spread of weapons-usable nuclear material and improve long-term nuclear security. They also emphasized that such programs are typically conducted in cooperation with international monitoring bodies.
The announcement comes amid broader geopolitical tensions, with US officials continuing to focus on nuclear-related risks in other regions as part of global nonproliferation policy.
Reports note that the Venezuelan material was not publicly linked to any immediate weapons development program and had been classified as residual material from earlier research activities.
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