President Donald Trump has declared the United States will retain or sell crude oil confiscated from tankers intercepted off Venezuela’s coast, escalating tensions with the Nicolás Maduro regime. The announcement came during a press briefing in Florida where Trump outlined multiple potential dispositions for the seized commodities, including potential allocation to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Caracas through maritime operations, seizing two oil tankers this month and actively pursuing a third vessel described as part of Venezuela’s ‘dark fleet’ designed to circumvent international sanctions. Washington alleges Venezuela utilizes oil revenue to fund narcotics trafficking operations, while Venezuelan authorities condemn the seizures as acts of ‘piracy’.
In a significant escalation, U.S. Southern Command confirmed a lethal strike against a suspected trafficking vessel in international eastern Pacific waters, resulting in one fatality. Trump further indicated potential expansion of operations to land-based targets, warning traffickers they would ‘get blown to pieces’ if attempting overland routes.
The economic pressure campaign has intensified with the designation of Maduro’s government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and implementation of a naval blockade preventing sanctioned tankers from entering or leaving Venezuelan ports. These measures strike at the core of Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy, prompting Caracas to request an emergency UN Security Council session to address what it terms ‘ongoing U.S. aggression.’
Maduro responded through state media, suggesting Trump should focus on domestic challenges rather than intervening in Venezuelan affairs. The confrontation represents the latest chapter in the prolonged political struggle between Washington and Caracas, with Trump having previously doubled rewards for information leading to Maduro’s capture.