The seizure comes after the United States has been building up military forces around Venezuela for months as part of a pressure campaign by the Trump administration to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
President Trump admits US seized oil tanker near Venezuela
President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid a military buildup in the region.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump acknowledged on December 10 that the United States had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, as the military builds up its military that has surrounded the country for months.
“As you know, we just seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said at a White House meeting.
“In fact, this is the largest seizure ever. There are other things that are happening,” the president said. “I think we’re going to continue to store oil,” he later added.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement shortly after Trump’s remarks that the FBI and other federal agencies, with support from the Pentagon, executed a warrant to seize the crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Bondi posted a video to X showing a U.S. military helicopter hovering over the tanker and soldiers climbing down a rope and onto the ship. Armed soldiers are then seen hijacking the tanker.
“This oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States for several years for its involvement in an illegal oil transportation network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” Bondi said. “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely, and continues to be investigated in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the interdiction of the shipment of sanctioned oil.”
Three people familiar with the matter said the cargo on board was owned by a businessman with ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the ship was bound for Cuba.
The news was first reported by Bloomberg.
This comes after the United States spent months building up military forces around Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign to remove President Maduro.
U.S. Southern Command and the Department of Defense contacted USA TODAY with the White House for comment.
Separately, U.S. forces launched 22 attacks against boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 87 people, including some Venezuelans. Critics say the attack, which did not have parliamentary authorization, was illegal and amounted to an extrajudicial assassination.
President Trump and his officials have said Mr. Maduro is the leader of a criminal organization called Cartel de los Soles. Experts told USA TODAY that the Cartel de los Soles is a loose, corrupt network and not a true drug-trafficking organization.
Maduro and other Venezuelan government officials were indicted in 2020 on drug trafficking and corruption charges.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for 20 years. Late last month, the Trump administration declared the Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for tough sanctions against the cartel and any entities it does business with.
In July, the Trump administration reversed a February move to cut off U.S. oil giant Chevron’s operations in Venezuela.
This article has been updated to add new information.
