The U.S. military has seized an oil tanker off of Venezuela’s coast, President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday as his administration continues to escalate the U.S. military presence in the region.
“As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized actually.”
Trump did not provide details on the matter but said that it was an “interesting day.” He also hinted that more may develop as “other things are happening.”
News of the seizure comes after Trump told Politico in an interview published Tuesday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered.” Trump declined to comment to Politico on whether the U.S. could send troops to the country.
His administration has built up military force in the region over the last month, including sending the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Caribbean. The vessel is host to squadrons of fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers.
The U.S. has targeted alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean since September. Trump has justified the strikes by characterizing the U.S. as being in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels and describing the boats as being operated by foreign terrorist organizations.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under scrutiny for a Sept. 2 strike on a boat that included a secondary hit, killing two survivors of the initial attack. Critics have questioned whether the double tap constituted a war crime.
Hegseth defended the strike by saying he didn’t personally see the survivors before approving another hit, citing the “fog of war.”
Bipartisan lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have started inquiries into the administrations attack on these boats.
Maduro has accused the U.S. of trying to fabricate a war against him. The Venezuelan president was charged in 2020, during the first Trump administration, with narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.
Trump recently offered a $50 million reward for Maduro’s arrest.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
