The Venezuelan socialist government accused the United States of committing “blatant theft” and “international piracy” after American forces, in coordination with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, took control of an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast on Wednesday.
The Trump administration said that the oil tanker was involved in an “illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations” and would regularly transport oil from Venezuela and Iran. The Venezuelan government, led by dictator Nicolás Maduro, condemned the United States and said on Wednesday that the seizure was part of President Donald Trump’s “long-standing plan to seize [Venezuelan] resources.”
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces and strongly repudiates what constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy, publicly announced by the President of the United States, who confessed to the assault on an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea,” the socialist government said.
Maduro has remained defiant following pressure from Trump and has attempted to rally his country against the United States. Earlier on Wednesday, Maduro spoke at a rally and told Venezuelans to be prepared to act like “warriors” and “smash the teeth of the North American empire if necessary,” the Guardian reported. Maduro has kept a tight grip on Venezuela after declaring himself the winner of the 2024 presidential election despite evidence showing that he lost.
Trump confirmed the oil tanker seizure after he was asked about the news by Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan.
“As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large — largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump said during a roundtable event on Wednesday afternoon. The president added that the tanker was seized “for very good reasons” and suggested that the United States would keep the oil on board.
The Trump administration released video of the seizure, showing American forces deploying out of a helicopter onto the large ship in the South Caribbean.
Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships
“If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you,” the Department of Homeland Security posted on social media alongside a video of the operation.
KNOCKOUT.
If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you.
Thank you to the brave service members from @USCG, @ICEGOV, @FBI, @DeptofWar, and @TheJusticeDept. pic.twitter.com/KUCRjES267
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) December 11, 2025
The oil tanker seized by the United States has often attempted to hide its location while transporting oil from sanctioned countries, The New York Times reported. The vessel, called “Skipper,” hides by broadcasting fake location data. Tracking experts believe that the tanker “has transported nearly 13 million barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan oil since joining the global dark fleet of tankers in 2021,” according to the Times.
Venezuela’s oil-rich land is its main source of revenue and is often sold at steep discounts to American nemeses such as Iran and China. Trump has ramped up the pressure on Maduro in recent weeks, deploying U.S. battleships and forces to the Caribbean and taking out suspected drug boats near the Venezuelan coast. The White House accuses Maduro’s regime of funneling deadly drugs to the United States and has placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro for engaging “in a corrupt and violent narco-terrorism conspiracy.”
.png)
.png)
