The Venezuelan government is condemning the U.S. seizure of a large oil tanker off its coast, calling it “barefaced robbery.” The Trump administration says the vessel was carrying sanctioned crude oil, and they intercepted it in international waters.
President Donald Trump confirmed the news, saying U.S. forces have intercepted a “very large” oil tanker near Venezuela. He called it the biggest seizure of its kind and hinted that more actions may follow.
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“As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said. “The largest one ever seized, actually… It was seized for a very good reason.”
He didn’t offer details about who owned the ship or where the oil was headed. He told reporters they’d get that information “from the appropriate people later on.” When pressed on what would happen to the oil on board, he added, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”
Caracas blasts the move as ‘international piracy’
Venezuela’s government sharply denounced the operation. They called it “a barefaced robbery and an act of international piracy” intended to strip the country of its oil wealth.
For years, President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of using sanctions and maritime interdictions to “steal” Venezuelan crude and destabilize its economy. It’s a claim U.S. officials reject.
The new statement frames this seizure as the latest example of what Caracas views as an effort to suffocate one of the nation’s few remaining sources of revenue.
What we know about the tanker
U.S. officials, speaking to multiple outlets, say the seizure unfolded Wednesday morning in international waters after weeks of planning. A federal judge signed the seizure warrant two weeks ago, citing the vessel’s past involvement in a global smuggling network. It did not make any direct link to Maduro’s government.
Those officials say the tanker was carrying Venezuelan oil, the crew offered no resistance, and there were no casualties.
One official identified the vessel as the Skipper. It’s a tanker previously linked to shipments involving PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant, and to Iranian crude routed through shadow networks. The U.S. says the networks help fund foreign terrorist organizations, according to The New York Times.
Bondi posts video of the operation
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted footage of the seizure on X. It shows armed U.S. forces rappelling from a helicopter onto the tanker’s deck.
She said the operation involved the FBI, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Coast Guard, with additional support from the Department of Defense. She emphasized that the takedown was carried out “safely and securely.”
U.S. officials now say additional seizures may be coming as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Maduro’s remaining oil revenue.
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An escalation in pressure on Maduro
The seizure comes amid a wider U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. Since September, the U.S. has carried out more than 20 strikes on boats Washington says were tied to drug trafficking networks.
Those operations have killed more than 80 people, according to U.S. officials..
Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. could soon widen its targets onto land. He recently said that his administration “knows where they live” and that those operations could begin “very soon.”
