- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the U.S. has seized a “very large” Venezuelan oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
- The tanker, identified as the “Skipper,” was carrying approximately 1.8–2 million barrels of heavy Venezuelan crude. About 200,000 barrels had been transferred to a Cuba-bound ship prior to the seizure.
- The seizure was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard with Navy support, involving helicopters deploying armed personnel onto the ship. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi shared video footage of the operation.
- The vessel had previously been sanctioned for involvement in oil trading with Iran and for its role in a shadow tanker network.
- Venezuela condemned the seizure as “blatant theft” and an act of “international piracy,” vowing to defend its sovereignty and denounce the action before international bodies.
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the U.S. of attempting regime change and seizing the country’s oil resources.
- This seizure follows a broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, including strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking and deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
Trump Says US Seized ‘Very Large’ Oil Tanker Off the Coast of Venezuela
