Trump Says US Forces Seized an Oil Tanker Off the Coast of Venezuela in Latest Escalation
President Trump said on Wednesday that US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking the latest US escalation in its push toward a regime change war aimed at ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” the president said during an event at the White House. “A large tanker, very large. Largest one ever seized, actually, and other things are happening.”
US officials told CBS News that the seizure involved 10 members of the US Coast Guard, 10 US Marines, and special operations forces. Other reports said that the tanker, named The Skipper, departed Venezuela and was on its way to Cuba when it was boarded by US forces.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi released footage of the operation and claimed the tanker was “used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” She said the tanker had been sanctioned by the US for “multiple years.”
