US accused of stealing after seizing sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuela

Published December 11th, 2025 - 05:54 GMT
President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion with top business leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on December 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

ALBAWABA - The United States announced on Wednesday that it seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

"We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening," Trump said. When he was asked by a journalist about what would happen with the oil, the U.S. president answered: "We keep it, I guess."

The seizure of the oil tanker has caused a rise in oil prices and could fuel tension between the two countries, highlighting that Trump is now pressuring Caracas to overthrow its president, Nicolas Maduro.

After Trump's announcement that Washington is keeping the oil tanker, the Venezuelan government was angered by the statements and labeled the move as a "blatant theft".

Venezuela also described the seizure as "an act of international piracy".

It is worth mentioning that earlier, the Trump administration carried out several raids and attacks on suspected drug ships.