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 Wednesday as news of the seizure stoked short-term supply concerns, with analysts warning the move could further disrupt Venezuela's oil exports.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the US Coast Guard coordinated the seizure of the tanker, identified as Skipper, known for carrying Venezuelan oil exports.
Footage shared by Bondi showed a military helicopter hovering over the ship, and troops descending to the deck.
The Venezuelan government released a statement denouncing the seizure as a grave international crime and claimed that its natural resources belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people.
This operation comes amid growing military tension as the US has bolstered its naval presence near the Caribbean Sea, creating concerns about potential military action against Venezuela.
