The USA has completed the process of fully removing enriched uranium stored in Venezuela. This was announced by the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The material in question is nuclear fuel used in Venezuela's RV-1 research reactor, which had been stored there for years.
According to reports, NNSA specialists and technical experts from the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research collaborated to safely remove 13.5 kilograms of uranium from the RV-1 reactor. It is noted that this process was carried out in close cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
American specialists placed the uranium into a special container designed for spent fuel. In such operations, every detail is critical: safety, transport procedures, international oversight, and technical standards must be strictly followed. When dealing with nuclear material, there is no room for error.
In May, a special vessel delivered this material to the United States. The container was then transported to the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, a facility dedicated to the storage, decontamination, and processing of radioactive waste.
According to NNSA data, specialists there plan to process the material to obtain high-assay low-enriched uranium for U.S. nuclear needs. In other words, the material removed from Venezuela will be processed under controlled conditions for safe use.
NNSA head Brandon Williams described the operation as a significant milestone. He emphasized that the complete and safe removal of enriched uranium from Venezuela serves as a signal to the world regarding the country's recovery and renewal.
"Thanks to the firm leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump, dedicated teams on the ground completed work that usually takes several years in just a few months," said Williams.
The RV-1 reactor served physics and nuclear research for decades. However, after work in this field was halted in 1991, uranium enriched above the 20 percent critical threshold remained stored in the reactor.
Such materials require special oversight by experts, as enriched uranium must be stored safely, kept from falling into the wrong hands, and managed according to international nuclear security requirements. In this sense, the operation is significant not only for technical cooperation between the two nations but also for global nuclear security.
Overall, the removal of uranium from Venezuela represents another step for the U.S. and international organizations toward strengthening control over nuclear materials. This process once again demonstrates the importance of peace, security, and responsibility in the nuclear sphere.
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