US forces have seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, sources say.
This marks a major escalation in tensions between the nations – and could suggest Trump’s sights are set further than just the drug smugglers.
The seizure, first reported Bloomberg citing well-placed sources, could stem Venezuela’s vital oil exports.
Other shippers will likely to wary of loading cargo from Venezuela, for fear of interception.
Two sources confirmed to Reuters that an oil tanker was seized in an operation led by the US Coast Guard.
It’s not clear which vessel was targeted, or where exactly it was intercepted.
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The White House is yet to comment on the reports.
Up to this point, operations had been limited to remote strikes on small boats that America identified as “narco-terrorists”.
This appears to be the first clash directly involving American personnel, and the first target not directly related to the drugs trade.
Most oil from Venezuela ends up in China after passing through middlemen nations and being sold at a cut price.
Just today, oil buyers in Asia demanded deeper discounts on Venezuelan crude oil due to a flood of sanctioned oil from Russia and Iran on offer.
They also cited a the risk of loading in the South American country in the face of the US military presence – a fear that has come true.
The US has been tightening the noose around Maduro with a series of bold strikes against Venezuelan drug smuggling boats and the build up of a vast military force in the Caribbean.
Trump has maintained his only goal is to wipe out the drugs trade flooding narcotics into the US – though many suspect he wants to topple Maduro.
The Venezuelan tyrant has been sent hopping mad with fear – alternating between defiant vows to defend and appeals for peace through dancing or singing.
He is reportedly living like a hunted man – sleeping in a different bed every night and swapping phones constantly to evade would-be assassins.
Today, the Nobel Peace Committee urged him to step down at the ceremony for his opponent forced into hiding, Maria Corina Machado, who won the 2025 Peace Prize.
Maduro blindly insists everything is under control – but the reality suggests otherwise.
Just this week, Trump warned him that his “days are numbered”.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow…