WASHINGTON (Realist English). President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that the United States has seized a large crude-oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move likely to deepen already severe tensions with Nicolas Maduro’s government.
“As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela. Large tanker — very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump said, offering no further explanation beyond saying it was taken “for very good reason.” Asked what would happen to the cargo, he replied: “We keep it, I guess.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi later posted video footage on X showing armed personnel rappelling from a helicopter onto the vessel’s deck. She said the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of War executed a federal seizure warrant targeting a tanker allegedly used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Bondi said the ship, known as the Skipper, had been sanctioned “for multiple years” for its role in an illicit oil-shipping network “supporting foreign terrorist organizations.” The operation, carried out in international waters, took place without injuries to U.S. forces or the crew, according to a senior U.S. official.
The official added that the Skipper was carrying Venezuelan crude bound for Cuba, with the cargo ultimately intended for Asia through Cuban intermediaries. The tanker had previously been linked to Iranian oil shipments, prompting a federal judge to approve its seizure. The Biden administration, the official noted, is considering additional actions in the coming weeks as part of its pressure campaign on Caracas.
Venezuela’s government condemned the operation in a statement, calling it an “act of international piracy” and insisting the U.S. is targeting the country’s natural resources, not issues like migration, drug trafficking or human rights. Caracas said it would appeal to “all existing international bodies.”
Cuba — already suffering some of its worst power shortages in decades — has so far issued no response. The island relies heavily on oil imports and subsidised shipments from allies such as Venezuela and Russia.
The tanker seizure coincides with an intensifying U.S. campaign against Maduro. Washington has deployed thousands of troops and a carrier strike group to the Caribbean, conducted strikes on suspected drug boats, and repeatedly warned that operations on Venezuelan soil remain on the table. U.S. forces have killed at least 87 people in maritime interdiction strikes that have destroyed 23 vessels, according to officials.
Trump told CNN’s Kristen Holmes he had not recently spoken with Maduro and declined to specify the vessel’s ownership.
CNN previously reported that the administration is drafting contingency plans for a post-Maduro transition, according to senior officials familiar with the discussions.
Maduro, speaking Wednesday as news of the seizure broke, did not comment on the incident.
