Venezuela Calls U.S. Oil Tanker Seizure “International Piracy”

On Wednesday, Venezuela condemned the seizure of an oil tanker, sanctioned by the U.S., labeling it as “an act of international piracy.”

The Venezuelan government stated, “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly condemns and repudiates the blatant theft and international piracy announced by the President of the United States, who has confessed to attacking oil tankers in the Caribbean.” This remark came in an official statement, which also suggested that the seizure is part of a broader strategy to undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty and its natural resources.

Venezuela’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, revealed that a coordinated operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Coast Guard led to the vessel’s seizure. This action was allegedly a response to the tanker being used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

During a business roundtable at the White House, President Donald Trump announced the seizure, stating, “As you may know, we just seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. A large tanker, very large, the largest tanker ever actually seized.” He hinted at additional actions in progress, promising to discuss them later.

Bondi shared unclassified video footage of the operation, which depicted a helicopter approaching the tanker while tactical personnel descended onto its deck.

When pressed by reporters regarding the oil’s fate, Trump mentioned, “Well, I think we’re storing it,” later adding, “I think we’ll keep the oil.” This casual dialogue left some ambiguity about the precise plans for the seized oil.