President Trump announced Wednesday that the U.S. seized an oil tanker near Venezuela. This action is straining relations with Venezuela and pushing up oil prices worldwide.
“We just took a tanker off Venezuela, a really big one, the biggest ever, actually. And other stuff’s going on,” Trump said. When asked what would happen to the oil, he replied, “We keep it, I guess.”
This is the first time the U.S. has targeted an oil tanker since Trump sent more military forces to the region. The U.S. has also been intercepting boats suspected of carrying drugs. Experts believe this tanker seizure is part of a larger effort to hurt Venezuela financially by targeting its oil revenue. Some U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, said the Coast Guard carried out the operation. The U.S. has not identified the tanker, but the British maritime tracking company Vanguard reported it was the *Skipper*. Satellite data and shipping records show the tanker left Venezuela around December 4 or 5 with heavy crude oil. The U.S. had already sanctioned this tanker because it was previously named *Adisa* and was caught trading oil with Iran.
This action immediately caused oil prices to rise. Brent crude increased by 27 cents to $62.21 per barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose by 21 cents to $58.46 per barrel. Experts say that while the seizure raises concerns about oil supply, it does not significantly affect oil shipments, as this cargo was already expected to take time to reach its destination.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro did not comment on the tanker seizure during a public event Wednesday. Venezuela is currently selling over 900,000 barrels of oil a day, which is a strong performance for the country this year. Chevron, which partners with the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA and ships all their oil to the U.S., said operations remain normal and that shipments to the U.S. increased to 150,000 barrels a day in November.
This tanker incident comes amid ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Venezuela. Since September, the Trump administration has targeted more than 20 boats suspected of carrying drugs, resulting in over 80 deaths. Some lawyers argue these actions may not be legal because the U.S. has not provided proof of the drugs and may not have needed to use lethal force.
This situation increases pressure on Maduro, who often claims the U.S. is trying to remove him from power and take Venezuela’s oil. Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. might use military force in Venezuela. Last week, he released a policy paper saying his foreign policy will focus on U.S. leadership in the region. As a result, Venezuela’s oil will face even closer scrutiny.
Experts believe this tanker seizure signals that the U.S. is prepared to target Venezuela’s oil directly. This move could disrupt international trade and worsen global conditions.
