US seizes oil tanker from Venezuela
US officials confirmed on Saturday that American forces intercepted a vessel that had recently called at a Venezuelan port. The operation was conducted by the US Coast Guard with backing from the Department of War, according to statements released by authorities.
The US Homeland Security chief announced the action publicly and shared footage of the predawn operation on X, asserting that the interception was aimed at stopping the “illicit movement of sanctioned oil” that Washington claims is being used to finance “narcoterrorism” in the region.
The latest seizure comes as the United States increases its military presence near Venezuelan waters and follows Trump’s recent directive to halt all sanctioned oil tankers entering or departing the country. Reports said that, unlike a tanker seized earlier this month, the vessel stopped over the weekend was not itself under US sanctions and was transporting Venezuelan crude destined for Asian markets.
The interception reportedly occurred in international waters and represents the second such action in recent weeks. Since the initial seizure, several tankers have allegedly remained anchored in Venezuelan waters to avoid detention, contributing to a sharp decline in the country’s oil exports.
Earlier in the week, Trump accused Venezuela of “stealing” US oil assets and investments, warning that Washington “wants it back,” or Caracas would face the consequences from what he described as the “largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America.”
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