US seizes sanctioned oil tanker off coast of Venezuela, Trump says

The U.S. has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, a move that sent oil prices higher and sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Caracas.

"We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening," said Trump, who has been pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

Asked what would happen with the oil, Trump said: "We keep it, I guess."

In response, the Venezuelan government in a statement accused the U.S. of "blatant theft" and described the seizure as "an act of international piracy". It said it would denounce the incident before international bodies.

Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. The seizure is the first of a Venezuelan oil cargo amid U.S. sanctions that have been in force since 2019. It is also the Trump administration's first known action against a Venezuela-related tanker since he ordered a massive military buildup in the region.

The U.S. has already carried out several strikes against suspected drug vessels, which has raised concerns among lawmakers and legal experts.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that the FBI, Homeland Security and Coast Guard, along with support from the U.S. military, carried out a seizure warrant for a crude tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

A 45-second video posted by Bondi showed two helicopters approaching a vessel and armed individuals in camouflage rappelling onto it.

Iran's embassy in Caracas condemned the action as a "grave violation of international laws and norms" in a post on X on Thursday.

Trump administration officials did not name the vessel or disclose its location at the time of the seizure.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Skipper was believed to have been seized off Venezuela early on Wednesday. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the tanker for what it says was involvement in Iranian oil trading when the vessel was called the Adisa.