US seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela as tensions mount
Trump: US seized oil tanker off Venezuelan coast
President Trump said Wednesday that U.S. forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, according to President Donald Trump.
The seizure marked the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as tensions mount between the two countries.
FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion with top business leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Dec. 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
What they're saying:
"We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually," Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump said "other things are happening," but did not offer additional details, saying he would speak more about it later.
Why was the oil tanker seized?
Dig deeper:
The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.
They added that the seizure was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.
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Big picture view:
Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day. Locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions, the state-owned oil company sells most of its output at a steep discount to refiners in China.
During past negotiations, among the concessions the U.S. has made to Maduro was approval for oil giant Chevron Corp. to resume pumping and exporting Venezuelan oil. The corporation’s activities in the South American country resulted in a financial lifeline for Maduro’s government.
Maduro did not address the seizure during a speech before a ruling-party organized demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. But he told supporters that Venezuela is "prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary."
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from San Jose.