Iron Ore
14.6B tons proven · Orinoco Belt at 45–65% Fe content
Primary buyersMENA DRI mills
Venezuelan minerals · Licensed and internationally directed
The license is open.
The license is open.
The minerals are ready.
The world is buying.
Sequoia Trading International is a U.S.-incorporated trading and partnership platform built to move Venezuelan iron ore, gold, bauxite, and strategic minerals into legitimate international supply chains — under U.S. Treasury permissions and direct contracts with the Venezuelan Ministry of Mines.
The portfolio
Seven minerals. A clear sequencing plan.
Venezuela holds one of the largest critical-minerals endowments in the Americas. Our role is to lead with what ships in 6–12 months, build optionality on what could be huge later, and avoid the mirages.
Gold
8,000+ tons claimed reserves · Minerven concession active
Primary buyersRefiners & central banks
Bauxite & Alumina
320M tons proven, 3.5B total — 3rd largest in the Americas
Primary buyersAluminum smelters
Coltan
Tantalum / niobium · First official export 2018 (5t → Italy)
Primary buyersElectronics & defense
Rare Earth Elements
~300,000 tons claimed · est. $200–500B market value
Demand driverMagnets, EVs, defense
Diamonds
Industrial grade · Orinoco Mining Arc
Demand driverIndustrial cutting
Nickel & Copper
Deposits identified · Exploration stage
Demand driverEV batteries
From contracts to equity.
Phase 1 minerals fund operations. Phase 2 builds the position. Phase 3 is where the asymmetric upside lives.
Why now
A market that has been waiting fifteen years just opened.
U.S. Treasury General License 55, issued March 27, 2026, explicitly authorizes American companies to negotiate investment contracts in Venezuela's minerals sector — including joint ventures, contingent on OFAC sign-off before performance.
Combined with General License 51A, which authorizes gold transactions with Minerven, and a working relationship with the Venezuelan Ministry of Mines, this is the most material opening in Latin American hard-commodities trade in a generation.
Sequoia exists to be one of the first U.S. entities to hold real positions inside that opening — not just trading contracts, but equity in the companies that produce the metals.
Phase 1 minerals — iron ore, gold, bauxite — photographed from the field.
What we do
A three-track operating platform.
We move from license to logistics to legal title — the three things every Venezuelan minerals counterparty asks for before they sign.
Trading & Offtake
Direct sourcing from Venezuelan state and private mining operations under valid export authorizations.
- Iron ore: contract tonnage to MENA & Asia DRI mills
- Gold: refinery-channel sales (Trafigura precedent)
- Bauxite & coltan: long-term offtake structures
Licensing & Compliance
Operating exclusively under U.S. Treasury permissions and Venezuelan Ministry of Mines authorizations.
- OFAC GL 51A & GL 55 compliance framework
- Chain-of-custody documentation
- KYC, AML & LBMA-aligned protocols
Joint Ventures & Equity
Structured partnerships with state mining authorities, private operators, and ICSID-award creditors.
- Minerven JV negotiation (gold concession blocks)
- CVG Bauxilum revival alliance
- Arbitration-creditor partnerships
License & compliance
Operating under U.S. permission. Documented end-to-end.
Sequoia operates only inside the perimeter of explicit U.S. Treasury permissions and Venezuelan Ministry of Mines authorizations. Every kilo we move is documented from concession to discharge port.
That posture is what makes our offtake bankable — and it is what differentiates a license-holder from the grey market.
- U.S. Treasury
- OFAC General License 55 (March 27, 2026) — JV negotiation authority
- U.S. Treasury
- OFAC General License 51A — Minerven gold transactions
- Venezuela
- Ministry of Mines (MPPDM) export authorization in process
- Standards
- LBMA-aligned gold protocols · KYC / AML / chain-of-custody
Five partnership tracks
Where Sequoia spends equity. Where Sequoia spends handshakes.
Five concrete partnership structures, ranked by leverage. Trading earns the first dollars. Equity in state concessions and creditor pools is where multi-decade positions are built.
Minerven JV (Gold)
State JV — direct concession
Authorized under GL 51A and GL 55. Minerven is the gold concession holder. A second mover after Trafigura can lock in a smaller but exclusive concession block.
CVG Bauxilum alliance
State JV — revival
Sole operator of Los Pijiguaos bauxite mine (3rd-largest reserves in the Americas) running at <17% of nameplate capacity. Modest capital + offtake can unlock multi-MT exports.
Gold Reserve Ltd. (Canada)
M&A — arbitration creditor
Holds a $1B+ ICSID arbitration award and a March 2026 OFAC 30-day negotiation license, actively positioning to re-enter Las Brisas / Las Cristinas concessions.
Cedeño coltan cooperatives
Offtake + financing
Small-scale legal mining alliances in Bolívar (Cedeño) produced the 2018 Italy export. Sequoia can finance equipment and buy 100% of output — Italy or U.S. defense supply chain.
Crystallex / Rusoro creditor pool
Distressed asset play
Both hold ICSID awards against Venezuela. Active CITGO / PDVH attachment proceedings. Buying into the creditor pool gives Sequoia a claim on Venezuelan state assets — patient capital, asymmetric upside.
Leadership
Built by operators, not intermediaries.
Joshua Cameron
Founder & Chief Executive OfficerArchitect of the Sequoia thesis. Leads sourcing, license strategy, and counterparty relationships with the Venezuelan Ministry of Mines and U.S. compliance counsel.
Tom Dubiel
Co-Founder & ChairmanProvides governance, capital-formation strategy, and operating discipline. Anchors the board and partner-syndicate work as Sequoia moves from trading to equity.
Request access
Public overview ends here.
Sequoia conducts buyer, partner, and investor conversations privately. Submit a short request and our team will follow up within two business days under NDA.
Available behind NDA
- Detailed minerals briefing & current cargo positions
- License documentation & compliance framework
- Partnership term sheets & equity participation deck
- Reference calls with U.S. counsel and Caracas counterparties
Request received.
A member of our team will respond within two business days from [email protected]. If your inquiry is time-sensitive, mention it in your email subject.