U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker Amid Pressure Campaign Against Maduro

The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday. 

President Donald Trump confirmed the news during a roundtable discussion on Wednesday afternoon after he was asked about reports of the seizure by Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan. The seizure comes as the president has ramped up a pressure campaign targeting Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.

“An interesting day from the standpoint of news. 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,” the president said.

Trump added that the tanker was taken by the United States “for very good reasons.”

Bloomberg first reported the tanker seizure.

Until Wednesday, the Trump administration’s military efforts off the coast of Venezuela have been limited to destroying drug boats and submarines. Wednesday’s actions represent a significant escalation in the White House pressure campaign, targeting Venezuela’s state-owned oil industry and primary source of funding.

Most of Venezuela’s oil is sold to China. Chinese buyers are typically able to get Venezuelan oil at a discount because of the risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.

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U.S.-based Chevron has some oil operations in Venezuela. Chevron has received a waiver from the Treasury Department to work with Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant PDVSA to develop the country’s massive oil reserves. To drill in Venezuela, Chevron gives a portion of its oil to the government.

Since September, the U.S. military has knocked out over 20 boats and submarines in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean in strikes targeting drugs and narcoterrorists. The strikes are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the United States as well as destroy operations that empower cartels in Central and South America and destabilize the region.

Trump has escalated pressure on Maduro in particular after failing to oust the South American strongman from office during Trump’s first term. Trump has approved CIA operations in Venezuela to target drug operations and Maduro, whom the Trump administration has called a drug kingpin. The Trump administration has placed a $50 million bounty on information that leads to Maduro’s arrest.