Venezuela condemns US oil tanker seizure as ‘international piracy’
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Venezuela on Wednesday condemned the US seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off its coast, calling it an “act of international piracy”.
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly condemns and rejects what constitutes a blatant act of theft and international piracy, publicly announced by the President of the United States, who admitted to attacking an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea,” the government said in a statement. official notification.
The statement, published by Correo del Orinoco, Venezuela’s state news organization that regularly publishes official government announcements, framed the seizure as part of a broader campaign against the country’s sovereignty and natural resources.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that in a joint operation carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the US Coast Guard with the support of the War Department, a seizure warrant was issued for a crude oil tanker allegedly used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
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US forces were seen entering the ship with weapons drawn. (via @AGPamBondi)
“The oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States for several years for its involvement in an illegal oil transportation network that supports foreign terrorist organizations,” he said on X. “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted in a safe and secure manner, and our investigation continues with the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transportation of sanctioned oil.”
Bondi released declassified video footage of the operation, which showed a helicopter approaching the large tanker and tactical personnel pushing a rope onto the deck.
Newly released footage shows US forces securing an oil tanker in Venezuela. (via @AGPamBondi)
President Donald Trump made the seizure announcement while speaking at a roundtable event with business leaders at the White House on Wednesday.
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“As you probably know, we just seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. It’s a large tanker, very large, the largest ever seized,” Trump told reporters. “And other things happen, too. So you’ll see this later, and you’ll talk about it with other people later.”
President Donald Trump looks on during a roundtable discussion in Roosevelt Room of the White House on December 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
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“He was seized for a very good reason,” he later added.
Asked by a reporter what would happen to the oil on the tanker, Trump replied: “I think we’re keeping it.”
“I assume we’ll keep the oil,” he said shortly after.
