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 funnelling narcotics into the US and has intensified its efforts to pressure President Maduro in recent months.
Venezuela - home to some of the world's largest proven oil reserves - has, in turn, accused Washington of seeking to take its oil.
Oil prices inched higher as news of the seizure stoked short-term supply concerns. Analysts warn the move could threaten shippers and disrupt Venezuela's oil exports.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the FBI, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and US Coast Guard coordinated the seizure. For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations, she wrote on social media.
Footage shared by Bondi showed a military helicopter hovering over the ship, with troops descending onto the deck. A senior military official informed that the mission involved US Coast Guard members and special forces.
The Venezuelan government condemned the seizure as a grave international crime and reiterated its commitment to defend its natural resources.
Following the seizure, calls intensified within Venezuela to prepare against further aggression from the US, with increased military presence in the Caribbean Sea supporting speculation about potential military actions.
As the geopolitical situation evolves, the implications of such actions remain uncertain, particularly in terms of regional stability and economic impacts on oil markets.
