High Seas Showdown: U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker Amid Escalating Tensions

President Trump announced the U.S. has seized a large oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, intensifying pressure on President Maduro. The operation was led by the U.S. Coast Guard, supported by the Navy. This move is part of a broader strategy to curb narco-terrorism and illegal oil trade.

In a move that underscores rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that U.S. forces have seized a massive oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The operation is an extraordinary measure in the Trump administration's ongoing campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces narco-terrorism charges in the United States.

Details about the tanker remain sparse, but it marks the largest such seizure to date. The U.S. Coast Guard spearheaded the operation, with crucial support from the Navy. An unnamed U.S. official—who spoke under the condition of anonymity—confirmed that the action was carried out under U.S. law enforcement authority.

This move is part of a broader strategy involving a significant U.S. military build-up in the region, intended to disrupt alleged narcotic operations and curtail Venezuela's circumventing of U.S. oil sanctions. The tense climate escalated further this week when U.S. fighter jets flew over the Gulf of Venezuela, bringing them closer to Venezuelan airspace than they've been since the start of this pressure campaign.

(With inputs from agencies.)