Trump Seizes Oil Tanker off Venezuela: Pressure on Maduro Intensifies

US President Donald Trump announced that the United States had seized a large oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas.

Trump stated: “We have just seized an oil tanker off Venezuela, a very large tanker, the largest ever seized.”

He did not provide details about the vessel, its owner, or its destination, but CBS News reported, citing sources, that the tanker is named The Skipper and was sanctioned by Washington in 2022 due to its links to Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Trump justified the move by saying the ship “was seized for very good reasons,” adding that the United States will retain its cargo.

The American government is intensifying its economic and military measures in an effort to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In a recent interview with Politico, Trump said that Maduro’s days are “numbered.”

The United States has launched several strikes against boats suspected of being used for drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea.

Crude oil is Venezuela’s only major resource, and the country is under an embargo. As a result, it is forced to sell its production on the black market at much lower prices, particularly to Asian countries.

The seizure of the tanker could affect these exports, as it may deter buyers from purchasing Venezuelan oil for fear of facing the same consequences.

Venezuela produces 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day, mainly supplying China, according to experts.

Last week, the European Union’s trade representative in Venezuela, Jaime Luis Soucas, reported a 75% decline this year in the bloc’s imports of Venezuelan oil, from 1.535 billion euros in 2024 to 383 million in 2025.