- Caracas condemned the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker ("The Skipper") by U.S. forces as an illegal theft of national resources, framing it as part of Washington’s agenda to plunder Venezuela’s oil reserves.
- The Trump administration defended the operation, claiming it targeted illicit oil networks linked to terrorist organizations. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted footage of armed operatives storming the vessel, while Trump boasted it was the "largest seizure ever" and implied the U.S. would keep the confiscated oil.
- The incident exacerbates years of hostility, with U.S. sanctions and regime-change efforts pushing Venezuela closer to allies like Iran, Russia, and China. Critics warn U.S. actions risk regional instability and mass migration.
- Venezuela vowed to defend its sovereignty, while international experts questioned the legality of U.S. military actions in Venezuelan waters, citing lack of evidence for claims about drug trafficking or terrorism ties.
- The confrontation highlights the dangerous convergence of economic warfare, resource competition, and geopolitical brinkmanship, with Trump openly admitting the U.S. intends to retain the seized oil – underscoring power dynamics over international law.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions between Venezuela and the United States, Caracas furiously accused Washington of "international piracy" following the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea by U.S. forces.
The South American nation leveled the accusation on Wednesday, Dec. 10, pointing out that the seizure was nothing more than a brazen theft of its national resources. According to the Venezuelan government, the move only exposes Washington's long-standing agenda to plunder its vast oil reserves.
The operation was carried out by members of the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security, with support from the Department of War. It targeted a vessel, identified as the Guyana-flagged "The Skipper," allegedly transporting approximately 1.1 million barrels of sanctioned crude oil from Venezuela and Iran. Washington previously sanctioned the tanker in 2022.
The Trump administration defended the seizure as necessary to combat illicit oil networks tied to foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the seizure on social media, posting footage of tactical operatives descending from a helicopter onto the ship's deck, weapons drawn. "This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely," she stated, framing the operation as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt illegal oil shipments.
President Donald Trump, speaking at a White House roundtable on the same day, boasted about the seizure. He called it the "largest one ever seized" and hinted at further actions to come. When pressed on the fate of the confiscated oil, Trump replied bluntly: "Well, we keep it, I guess."
His remarks reinforced Venezuela's long-standing accusation that U.S. sanctions and military operations are less about security and more about economic strangulation. The Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs blasted the seizure as a "blatant theft," with Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto condemned the move as part of a "deliberate plan to plunder our energy resources." Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned against Washington's push toward "a crazy war."
Is the U.S. fueling Venezuela's collapse?
The incident marks the latest flashpoint in years of hostility between the U.S. and Venezuela, where Washington has imposed crippling sanctions, recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president and repeatedly attempted to force Maduro from power. Critics argue that U.S. policy has exacerbated Venezuela’s economic crisis while failing to achieve regime change, instead pushing Caracas closer to allies like Iran and Russia.
Meanwhile, legal experts and international organizations have questioned the legality of recent U.S. military actions in Venezuelan waters, including airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels. The Trump administration has provided scant evidence for the latter, however.
According to BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, Washington continuing to provoke Caracas risks escalating regional instability and fueling mass migration crises. It also risks pushing Venezuela further into alliances with adversarial globalist powers like China and Russia, which undermines U.S. sovereignty and security.
As tensions mount, the seizure of The Skipper raises urgent questions about the limits of U.S. enforcement of sanctions and the broader implications for international maritime law. Venezuela has vowed to defend its sovereignty "with absolute determination," framing the confrontation as a struggle against imperial overreach.
Yet with Washington showing no signs of relenting – and Trump openly admitting the confiscated oil will remain in U.S. hands – the episode underscores the dangerous convergence of economic warfare, resource competition and geopolitical brinkmanship in the Caribbean. For now, the tanker's fate hangs in the balance, emblematic of a conflict where power, not principle, appears to dictate the rules.
Watch this Fox News report about the U.S. keeping the oil from the seized tanker off the coast of Venezuela, as per President Donald Trump.
This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.
Sources include:
Please contact us for more information.