The United States seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Venezuelan government, which called the operation an act of “international piracy.”
President Donald Trump confirmed the seizure during a White House event, stating, “We’ve just seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela – large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually.” When questioned further at a roundtable with business leaders, he refused to provide details but added, “I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”
The U.S. Coast Guard led the operation with coordination from the Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security. A video posted on social media by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi showed armed personnel rappelling from helicopters onto the tanker. “Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran,” Bondi posted.
Bondi stated that the vessel had long been sanctioned for its alleged role in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. She added that the operation was conducted due to its link to both Venezuelan and Iranian oil, both of which are subject to U.S. sanctions.
The Venezuelan government strongly condemned the seizure. In an official statement released by its Foreign Ministry, Venezuela declared the U.S. action a “blatant theft” and an “act of international piracy, publicly announced by the President of the United States.” Venezuela vowed to “defend its sovereignty, natural resources, and national dignity with absolute determination,” and pledged to raise the matter before international organizations.
Since returning to office, Trump has escalated pressure on Venezuela, deploying U.S. naval assets to the region, including the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group to the southern Caribbean Sea. He has also imposed airspace restrictions, leading several foreign airlines to suspend flights to Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded by reinforcing his country’s coastal defenses, warning that Venezuelan armed forces would resist any future U.S. military action. Maduro has long accused Washington of seeking regime change in Caracas.
The tanker seizure comes amid broader U.S. efforts to enforce sanctions against oil transactions involving Venezuela and Iran. The Trump administration previously seized a Venezuelan government-linked aircraft and has launched strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels, several of which it connected to Venezuela. At least 22 boats have been targeted under this U.S. campaign, resulting in an estimated 87 deaths.
This latest maritime intervention has drawn scrutiny at home and abroad. Earlier this month, two United Nations experts expressed “deep concern about mounting pressure from the United States on Venezuela.” A November poll conducted by The Economist and YouGov found that only 17% of U.S. adults support military intervention in Venezuela, compared to 45% who oppose it. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday reported that 48% of Americans oppose the targeting of alleged narcotics vessels, with only about 45% expressing support for force in the region.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, correspondent Mike Hanna noted the scarcity of official information on the latest incident. “There aren’t many details about the seizure of this tanker, apart from the president’s confirmation,” Hanna said. “This does mark a massive escalation in terms of US action against Venezuela. It has been reported that President Trump has been pondering for weeks now what kind of action to take in Venezuela and has been very clear that he is contemplating regime change,” he added.
Despite claiming earlier this month to have been in contact with Maduro, Trump told reporters Wednesday that he had not spoken with the Venezuelan leader since the tanker seizure.
