An international mission to secure weapons-grade nuclear material just crossed the finish line two years ahead of schedule. Working in a rare moment of coordination with Caracas and London, the United States successfully pulled all remaining highly enriched uranium (HEU) out of Venezuela’s only nuclear facility.
The material, which was originally provided decades ago under the “Atoms for Peace” program, landed safely at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina earlier this month.
The operation centered on the RV-1 research reactor, a shuttered facility that once served as a hub for scientific study and medical sterilization.
While the reactor had long been out of commission, the presence of HEU—a material capable of being used in nuclear weapons—posed a persistent security risk. The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, alongside the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), managed to collapse a multi-year timeline into just a few months to get the job done.
READ: The Nuclear Clock Is Ticking: Iran Just “Weeks” From Weapons-Grade Uranium
Logistics for the mission required a delicate three-way handoff. In late April, Venezuelan teams handled the initial packaging and preparation of the uranium.
From there, the United Kingdom took over the transportation, moving the sensitive cargo across the Atlantic. Throughout the entire process, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remained on the ground as technical observers to ensure the transfer met global safety standards.
This successful extraction adds to a growing tally for the NNSA, which has now secured or disposed of more than 7,340 kilograms of weapons-usable material across the globe. By clearing out the RV-1, the mission effectively ends the presence of HEU in Venezuela.
Officials noted that the operation serves as a blueprint for practical, decisive nuclear security. According to the State Department, “By leading the removal of dangerous nuclear material from Venezuela, the United States is safer and has strengthened nuclear security worldwide.”
The arrival of the material in Aiken, South Carolina, marks the official conclusion of the mission, permanently removing a potential proliferation threat from the region.
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