US seizes oil tanker off Venezuelan coast

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, an action that has drawn strong criticism from the Venezuelan government, according to international media reports.

Members of the Trump administration confirmed that the US Coast Guard led an operation on Wednesday afternoon to commandeer the vessel, Al Jazeera reported. Few details have been released regarding the circumstances of the seizure.

“We’ve just seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela — a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized, actually,” President Trump said during an event at the White House. “And other things are happening. You’ll be seeing that later, and you’ll be talking about that later with some other people.”

Pressed for further information during a roundtable with business leaders, Trump declined to identify the vessel’s owner and advised reporters to “follow the tanker” for updates. He added, “I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”

The Venezuelan government condemned the operation, calling it an “act of international piracy, publicly announced by the President of the United States.” In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Venezuela would “defend its sovereignty, natural resources, and national dignity with absolute determination,” and vowed to file complaints before international bodies.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on social media that the tanker was seized for transporting “sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” She said the vessel had been under US sanctions for several years due to its alleged role in “an illicit oil-shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”

Bondi also shared a video showing U.S. soldiers rappelling onto the tanker from military helicopters. She noted that the Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security supported the Coast Guard in the operation.

The takeover is expected to further heighten tensions between Washington and Caracas as the Trump administration continues its campaign of “maximum pressure” against the South American nation.

Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has intensified threats against Venezuela and deployed additional military assets to the Caribbean region.

sa