Videos: US seizes Venezuelan oil tanker

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States seized a Venezuelan oil tanker amid his administration’s crackdown against foreign terrorist organizations and continued efforts to increase pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “Large tanker, very large. Largest one ever seized, actually. And, other things are happening. So you’ll be seeing that later, and you’ll be talking about that later with some other people.”

According to Fox News, Trump explained that the Venezuelan oil tanker was seized “for a very good reason.”

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the United States Coast Guard, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of War seized a crude oil tanker that was used to transport “sanctioned oil” from both Venezuela and Iran.

“For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” Bondi stated. “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.”

Bondi also shared a video of the seizure of the Venezuelan oil tanker. In the video, armed U.S. personnel can be seen boarding the Venezuelan oil tanker after dropping down from a helicopter.

CNN reported that a senior U.S. official confirmed that the seizure of the Venezuelan oil tanker did not result in any casualties and was completed without incident. The official claimed that while the ship, identified as the Skipper, was heading toward Cuba, the ship’s ultimate destination was somewhere in Asia. 

According to CNN, the Skipper, which was previously named the Adisa, was sanctioned in 2022 by the United States for helping facilitate oil trades for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and Hezbollah.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel warned on Wednesday that the Trump administration’s efforts to “crush” foreign terrorist organizations and “cut off their resources” will “continue day and night.”

“If you threaten our nation or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated. “Thank you to our brave service members. America FIRST.”