The United States has completed the removal of 13.5 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from Venezuela’s inactive RV‑1 research reactor, according to recent announcements from federal agencies involved in the operation. The mission, carried out with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Kingdom, was finalized more than two years ahead of its original schedule.
The RV‑1 reactor, built under the Atoms for Peace program in the 1950s, has been shut down since 1991. The remaining nuclear material was packaged by technical teams from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, and the IAEA before being transported under military escort to the port of Puerto Cabello.
From there, the material was loaded onto a specialized United Kingdom transport vessel and shipped to the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Federal officials stated that the uranium will be processed into low‑enriched material suitable for civilian nuclear applications.
Agencies involved in the mission described the removal as part of a broader international effort to secure or eliminate weapons‑usable nuclear material worldwide. The United States has participated in similar operations in multiple countries over the past two decades.
The completion of the Venezuela mission follows recent steps toward renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Caracas. Federal officials noted that the cooperation required for the HEU removal reflects ongoing technical coordination between the two governments.