Washington, DC — The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has announced the successful removal of all remaining highly enriched uranium (HEU) from a legacy research reactor in Venezuela, describing the operation as a major step toward reducing nuclear security risks in South America and the U.S. homeland.
The mission was conducted in partnership with the Venezuelan Ministry of Science and Technology, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), specialists from the United Kingdom, and personnel from the U.S. State Department. NNSA, a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, coordinated the effort.
NNSA said the material came from the RV-1 reactor, which supported physics and nuclear research for decades but ceased research activities in 1991. After operations ended, uranium enriched above the 20 percent threshold remained on site as surplus material.
Working with experts from the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) removed 13.5 kilograms (about 30 pounds) of HEU less than six weeks after an initial site visit. The agency said the fuel was securely packaged in a spent fuel cask and transported roughly 100 miles overland to a Venezuelan port.
From there the shipment was loaded onto a specialized carrier provided by the U.K.’s Nuclear Transport Solutions, arrived in the United States in early May, and was transferred to the Savannah River Site for processing and reuse. NNSA said the material will be processed at the H-Canyon chemical separations facility to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for future U.S. nuclear energy programs.
NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams commented on the operation, saying, “The safe removal of all enriched uranium from Venezuela sends another signal to the world of a restored and renewed Venezuela. Thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership, the dedicated teams on the ground completed in months what would have normally taken years.” DNN Deputy Administrator Dr. Matt Napoli, who traveled to Venezuela to oversee the work, praised the teams involved and NNSA’s long experience in such removals.
The agency noted that since 1996 it and predecessor offices have removed or confirmed disposition of more than 7,350 kilograms (16,250 pounds) of HEU and plutonium from dozens of countries as part of global nonproliferation efforts.
Officials described the operation as an example of international cooperation to reduce proliferation risks and to repurpose nuclear material for peaceful energy uses.
