The U.S. seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday.
The tanker’s ownership and origin were not revealed, but Trump said the vessel was “very large” while speaking to reporters on Wednesday. The president did not offer the rationale behind the seizure during his remarks. “As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” he said. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized actually.”
When asked what the U.S. would do with the oil on board, Trump said, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”
The seizure comes after months of increasingly forceful rhetoric from the administration toward Venezuela and its dictator, Nicola Madura. The American military has slowly been ramping up its presence and operations in the south Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela for months, fueling speculation of a looming full-scale confrontation with Maduro or even regime change.
Trump hinted at potential future action when answering questions Wednesday, telling reporters nebulously that, “other things are happening” besides the tanker seizure. He also said in an interview with Politico Tuesday that Maduro’s “days are numbered.”
The move is a significant escalation in the campaign in the Caribbean, following Trump previously declaring Venezuelan air space closed on Nov. 29.
Trump reportedly gave Maduro a deal late November to vacate power in Venezuela in exchange for safe passage for him and his family. The U.S. placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro in August, which is the largest sum ever offered for a sitting head of state.
The U.S. has accused the dictator of running the Cartel de los Soles, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information.
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