President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that the US had taken management of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a transfer which dangers inflaming tensions with that nation.
“As you probably know we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump mentioned. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi later posted a video on X exhibiting armed personnel rappelling on to the ship from a helicopter, then shifting on deck with weapons drawn. She mentioned the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the US 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.”
“For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues,” Bondi wrote.
The president didn’t provide any detailed rationalization for the transfer, saying solely that it was seized “for very good reason.” Asked what would occur to the oil the tanker was transporting, Trump mentioned, “We keep it, I guess.”
The seizure occurred in worldwide waters, a senior US official mentioned, and proceeded with out incident or casualties both among the many US personnel or the tanker’s crew.
The vessel, named the Skipper, was carrying Venezuelan crude, the official mentioned. The tanker had been beforehand related to Iranian oil, and a federal choose issued a warrant for its seizure due to these hyperlinks.
The transfer dangers additional escalating tensions with Venezuela, the place Trump has intensified a strain marketing campaign aimed toward forcing the nation’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, out of power. The ship, which was headed to Cuba, was finally destined for Asia after being brokered via Cuban sellers, the senior official mentioned, including that extra seizures are attainable within the coming weeks because the US applies strain on Maduro.
In response to questions from NCS’s Kristen Holmes, Trump mentioned he had not spoken to Maduro just lately and declined to say who owns the seized tanker.
Cuba has already been grappling with a few of the worst energy outages in many years, with blackouts stretching for hours, generally days. The communist-run island’s ageing vitality infrastructure relies on oil imports, typically within the type of donations coming from allies like Venezuela, Russia and Mexico. The Cuban authorities had no quick response to information of the seizure of the tanker of oil heading to the island.
The US is now months into its strain marketing campaign on Venezuela that has included shifting 1000’s of troops and a service strike group into the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug boats and repeated threats in opposition to Maduro. So far, the US navy has killed 87 people in strikes which have destroyed 23 alleged drug boats, and Trump has repeatedly steered motion on land might come quickly.
NCS has reported the Trump administration is engaged on day-after plans within the occasion Maduro is ousted from energy, in line with two senior administration officers and one other supply acquainted with the discussions.
Maduro didn’t tackle the seized tanker in a speech Wednesday that was occurring as information of the US’s transfer was circulating.
This is a growing story and might be up to date.