President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The operation follows the president’s warning to Venezuelan officials about his actions against narco-terrorists allegedly smuggling harmful drugs from the country into the United States.
The president described the vessel as a “very large” tanker, which he called “the largest one ever seized.” According to U.S. sources, the tanker is a VLCC (very large crude carrier) capable of transporting up to 2 million barrels of oil.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi detailed the seizure in a social media statement: “Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.”
Bondi added that the vessel has been sanctioned by the U.S. for “multiple years” due to its involvement in an “illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.” She stated that the seizure was conducted “safely and securely,” and that investigations with the Department of Homeland Security continue to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil.
The president also indicated on Tuesday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s days were numbered.
Democrats have raised concerns about the administration’s actions, alleging war crimes in recent strikes on suspected drug-runners. In one incident, two survivors of a strike on a boat were killed by a second strike, which critics said was illegal. The Trump administration has offered a $50 million reward for Maduro’s arrest.
