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The United States has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, a move Caracas has condemned as “blatant theft” amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
The seizure coincides with a major US naval buildup in the Caribbean, which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says is aimed at regime change, alongside strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels.
A video released by US Attorney General Pam Bondi showed troops rappelling from a helicopter onto the tanker’s deck and entering the bridge with rifles raised.
“We’ve 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.
Bondi described the vessel as part of an “illicit oil shipping network” transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. US media reported that the tanker was heading for Cuba and was detained by the US Coast Guard.
Venezuela’s foreign ministry denounced the action, calling it “an act of international piracy” and a violation of international law.
Nobel Prize Winner in Focus
The announcement came a day before Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado was set to speak publicly in Oslo after months in hiding.
Maduro had warned that Machado could be arrested if she returned to Venezuela, but Trump said he would oppose any such move.
“I wouldn’t like it if she were arrested; I wouldn’t be happy with it,” Trump told reporters.
Machado’s daughter read her acceptance speech in Norway, in which she called for Venezuelans to fight against “state terrorism” under Maduro.
Rising US Pressure on Maduro
Trump’s administration has intensified pressure on Maduro in recent months, deploying a fleet of warships and the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the region under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. US strikes on over 20 alleged drug vessels have reportedly killed at least 87 people.
Washington has accused Maduro of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns”, which it labelled a narco-terrorist organisation last month.
Trump has warned that Maduro’s “days are numbered” and has not ruled out a US ground invasion.
Maduro, successor to the late Hugo Chavez, insists the US seeks regime change and aims to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves. In response, Venezuela recently swore in 5,600 new soldiers to bolster its military readiness.
Machado, who claims Maduro stole Venezuela’s July 2024 election, has largely remained in hiding since January 9, when she protested his inauguration for a third term.
