PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. officials say they are working to establish a compliant interim government, prioritizing administrative stability and repairing oil infrastructure in the country.
Maduro's arrest has some drivers wondering if Venezuelan oil could lead to even lower gas prices domestically, but experts say any impact won't happen quickly.
WATCH BELOW: Will Venezuela's uncertain future impact gas prices?
"Venezuelan crude oil is not like any other crude oil in the world. It's almost gelatinous if you want to think about jelly," said Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy.
DeHaan explained that significant changes would need to occur before any Venezuelan oil reaches American markets.
"Before any additional oil is even shipped, we need to talk about a complete 180 of the regime that is currently still in power in Venezuela. It's going to have to shift completely, and even under the most optimistic turns in the road, it will still likely take several years for the best potential outcome to even become close to being realized," De Haan said.
Currently, Florida drivers are already enjoying relatively low gas prices, with averages around $2.80 per gallon.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. is expected to dip below $3 for the first time since 2020, according to a forecast for the new year from GasBuddy.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.