U.S. Brokers Major Gold Deal With Venezuela’s State Mining Company

As things continue to pop off in the Middle East, the United States is still focused on Venezuela – and has brokered a multimillion-dollar gold deal.  The agreement, first reported by Axios, involves the sale of between 650 and 1,000 kilograms of gold doré bars – which are semi-refined with approximately 98% gold content – from Venezuela’s state-owned mining company, Minerven, to the global commodities trader Trafigura. The gold is destined for refineries in the United States, marking a shift in Venezuela’s resource exports toward American…