President Donald Trump further escalated tensions with Venezuela after he announced the U.S. had seized an oil tanker — and he might just be getting started, according to a report.
For months, Trump has zeroed in on Venezuela. He has overseen military strikes against alleged drug-running boats that he says are fueled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government, built up a military presence in its coastal waters, and imposed sanctions on three of Maduro’s wife’s nephews.
On Wednesday, Trump said that the tanker was the “largest one ever seized” — and was done so for “very good reason.” Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed the tanker was carrying sanctioned oil intended for Iran; Venezuela has denied that claim, calling the seizure an “act of international piracy.”
But that label doesn’t seem to have deterred the Trump administration, as three people familiar with the administration’s plans told the Washington Post that the U.S. is “likely” to capture additional sanctioned oil vessels off the coast of the South American country.
Asked on Thursday whether the seized tanker, known as the Skipper, would be a one-off, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to share any future plans.
“Well, I won't broadcast any future actions from the administration, but I will just reiterate that the Trump administration is executing on the president's sanction policies and the sanction policies of the United States, and we're not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil," she told reporters.
The Independent has asked the White House for comment on the Post’s report.
On Thursday, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against three of Maduro’s wife’s nephews, Cilia Flores and a business executive close to Maduro. The department also added six oil tankers to its list of sanctioned vessels, alleging that the vessels “have engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices and continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduro’s corrupt narco-terrorist regime.”
The South American country largely relies on oil exports to fuel its economy, so seizing oil tankers could devastate Venezuela’s already fragile economy, according to experts. Oil makes up about 88 percent of Venezuela’s $24 billion in export revenues, according to the New York Times.
“A continued policy of seizures would cause a steep decline in Venezuela’s import capacity, plunging the country into a new recession,” Francisco Rodríguez, a Venezuelan economist at the University of Denver, told the Times.
The U.S.’s campaign targeting oil tankers could also deter ships from heading to the South American country.
“Every sanctioned vessel that’s thinking about coming to Venezuela is now being warned that the U.S. government could very well board you,” an adviser to energy companies engaged in Venezuela’s oil sector, who spoke anonymously to protect the confidentiality of his clients, told the Post.
“It could have a major chilling effect on vessel owners and operators,” he said. “Do I want to take the risk of going to Venezuela and getting boarded by American authorities?”
Asked what would happen to the oil on board the tanker, Trump told reporters Wednesday: “We keep it, I guess.”
Leavitt said the vessel will go to a U.S. port and the U.S. intends to seize the oil. “However, there is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed,” she added.
The Venezuelan government decried the move as “a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.”
“Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed… It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the statement added.
King’s cancer journey: From diagnosis to new update on health
Ukraine-Russia war latest: EU agrees indefinite freeze on £184bn of Russian assets
New Epstein release includes pictures of Trump, Clinton and Andrew
New photos show Trump with women at Epstein estate
Trump and Clinton seen in new photos released from Epstein’s estate: Live
Illinois becomes 12th state to let terminally ill residents choose to end their lives
