US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said, marking a sharp escalation in Washington's pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro's government.
We have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela - a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually, Trump told reporters at the White House.
Releasing a video of the seizure, Attorney General Pam Bondi described the vessel as a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Caracas swiftly denounced the action, calling it an act of international piracy. Earlier, President Maduro declared that Venezuela would never become an oil colony.
The Trump administration accuses Venezuela of funneling narcotics into the US and has intensified its efforts against President Maduro in recent months.
Oil prices inched higher as news of the seizure raised supply concerns. Analysts warn that this could disrupt Venezuela's oil exports.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that the tanker had been sanctioned for supporting illicit oil shipping networks linked to foreign terrorist organizations. The operation involved military helicopters and ground troops boarding the vessel and was launched from a US Naval ship.
The Venezuelan government labeled the seizure a grave international crime and affirmed that it would never allow foreign interference regarding its natural resources, particularly oil.
Following the seizure, tensions have escalated as the US military increases its presence in the Caribbean Sea with the positioning of troops and naval assets near Venezuela.
