US seizes oil tanker off Venezuelan coast; Venezuela terms it ‘an act of international piracy’

Washington, DC: The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday. The tanker, identified as the Skipper, was seized for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Trump stated that the vessel was the “largest one ever seized” and was taken into custody for a “very good reason”.

Trump confirmed the operation on Wednesday, saying: “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela – a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually.”

“It was seized for a very good reason,” the US president said, adding, “And other things are happening, so you'll be seeing that later.”

Releasing a video of the seizure, Attorney General Pam Bondi described that the tanker was “part of an illicit oil shipping network used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran”.

The seizure was led by the US Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, with troops rappelling from helicopters onto the tanker's deck. The operation was part of Operation Southern Spear, involving the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Venezuela's government condemned the seizure as ‘blatant theft’ and ‘international piracy’, vowing to defend its sovereignty and resources. The foreign ministry statement “strongly denounced and condemned what constitutes blatant theft and an act of international piracy, publicly announced by the President of the United States.”

The move has escalated tensions between the US and Venezuela, with Senator Chris Van Hollen suggesting it demonstrates the Trump administration's desire for ‘regime change by force’. The seizure may also impact Venezuela's oil exports, with over 30 sanctioned ships in the country potentially facing punishment.