Venezuela Decries Act of 'International Piracy' as…

Venezuela Decries Act of 'International Piracy' as U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker Off Country's Coast

Images of Venezuelan oil tanker seized by the U.S. (Credit: Pam Bondi's official X account)

Venezuela accused the United States of committing an act of "international piracy" after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker near the country's coastline, escalating tensions amid a broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean.

In a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Caracas condemned what it called "a blatant robbery" following President Donald Trump's announcement earlier in the day that U.S. personnel had intercepted a "very large" tanker off Venezuela.

"The president of the United States confessed to the assault of an oil tanker," the statement said, calling the seizure "a criminal act" and alleging it revealed Washington's true objectives. "It was never about migration, narcotrafficking, democracy, or human rights. It was always about our natural resources, our oil, our energy," the government wrote.

U.S. officials identified the vessel as the Skipper, a Guyana-flagged tanker loaded with 1.1 million barrels of crude. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the ship had been "used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran" and was part of "an illicit network supporting foreign terrorist organizations," citing investigations by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. Bondi said the operation was carried out "safely and securely" with Pentagon support.

Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple… pic.twitter.com/dNr0oAGl5x
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) December 10, 2025

The Venezuelan government argued the seizure fits into what it described as a pattern of coercive measures designed to strip the country of its energy assets. The Foreign Ministry cited earlier U.S. actions, including the loss of control over Citgo, as evidence of a "deliberate plan of dispossession."

The statement said the government would pursue all available international avenues to contest what it called an "unprecedented illegal aggression."

Washington's move comes as U.S. forces continue expanded naval operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific targeting vessels alleged to be involved in drug trafficking. Trump has said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's "days are numbered" and has declined to rule out a ground invasion.

The Venezuelan government said the tanker seizure was also intended to overshadow developments in Oslo, where opposition leader María Corina Machado's daughter delivered remarks on her behalf at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. "Once again the manipulations and failed efforts of those seeking regime change have been exposed," the statement said.

Caracas urged its supporters to "remain firm in defense of the homeland" and called on the international community to reject the U.S. action. "Venezuela will not allow any foreign power to take what belongs to the Venezuelan people," the government wrote.

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