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4d ago

U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela in Coast Guard-Led Operation

The action signals a move to constrict Nicolás Maduro’s oil revenues, with key details of the vessel still undisclosed.

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President Nicolas Maduro waves a Venezuelan flag during a swearing-in event for government-organized community committees at the presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
President Donald Trump confirmed during a roundtable on Wednesday that the U.S. seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
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Overview

  • President Donald Trump confirmed the seizure and described the vessel as the largest tanker ever taken by U.S. forces, saying it was seized for a very good reason.
  • A U.S. official said the Coast Guard led the operation with Navy support and characterized it as carried out under U.S. law enforcement authority.
  • Officials have not released the tanker's name, flag, or owner, and while reports point to a previously sanctioned ship, the government has not confirmed its identity.
  • Oil prices rose on the news, with Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate each up by roughly 0.8% to 1.3% during afternoon trading.
  • The move follows months of expanded U.S. deployments and more than 20 lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats that have killed at least 87 people, drawing congressional and legal scrutiny, a day after Navy F/A-18s flew near the Gulf of Venezuela.