Venezuela Accuses US of Piracy as Trump Seizes Oil Tanker Off Coast
The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has branded a recent US operation to seize an oil tanker off its coast "an act of international piracy."
The move comes as part of a four-month pressure campaign against Venezuela's authoritarian leader, which includes imposing a $50m bounty on his head and launching the largest naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, saying that it was a success but refusing to disclose who owned the tanker or its contents. The operation involved US forces landing on the tanker from a helicopter, as captured on video by Pam Bondi, the US attorney general.
Bondi stated in a statement that the seizure was carried out by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Coast Guard with support from the Department of Defense, aimed at stopping an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
The tanker had been sanctioned by the US for "multiple years" due to its involvement in this network. Maduro has condemned the operation, claiming that it is part of a longer-standing campaign by the US to steal Venezuela's natural resources.
"This seizure constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy," Maduro said. "Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed... It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people."
The operation comes as tensions between Venezuela and the US remain high, with months of repression having forced opposition leader Edmundo González into exile in Spain. The Biden administration's former chief Latin America adviser, Juan González, has suggested that one possible solution is for Trump to push Maduro into accepting a recall referendum, potentially in 2027, but threatening "real hardline consequences" such as an oil blockade if the result was not respected.
However, such a move could lead to significant economic damage. "Imposing an oil blockade would shut down the entire economy," González warned.
The seizure has drawn international attention and raised questions about the implications of US policy in Venezuela. As tensions continue to escalate, it remains unclear what next steps will be taken by either side.
The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has branded a recent US operation to seize an oil tanker off its coast "an act of international piracy."
The move comes as part of a four-month pressure campaign against Venezuela's authoritarian leader, which includes imposing a $50m bounty on his head and launching the largest naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, saying that it was a success but refusing to disclose who owned the tanker or its contents. The operation involved US forces landing on the tanker from a helicopter, as captured on video by Pam Bondi, the US attorney general.
Bondi stated in a statement that the seizure was carried out by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Coast Guard with support from the Department of Defense, aimed at stopping an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
The tanker had been sanctioned by the US for "multiple years" due to its involvement in this network. Maduro has condemned the operation, claiming that it is part of a longer-standing campaign by the US to steal Venezuela's natural resources.
"This seizure constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy," Maduro said. "Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed... It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people."
The operation comes as tensions between Venezuela and the US remain high, with months of repression having forced opposition leader Edmundo González into exile in Spain. The Biden administration's former chief Latin America adviser, Juan González, has suggested that one possible solution is for Trump to push Maduro into accepting a recall referendum, potentially in 2027, but threatening "real hardline consequences" such as an oil blockade if the result was not respected.
However, such a move could lead to significant economic damage. "Imposing an oil blockade would shut down the entire economy," González warned.
The seizure has drawn international attention and raised questions about the implications of US policy in Venezuela. As tensions continue to escalate, it remains unclear what next steps will be taken by either side.
The whole thing is super messy 
... I mean, one minute you're talking about a successful op to take down some bad guys and the next you're accusing the US of piracy 
... It's like, can we just figure out what's really going on? 
The tanker was sanctioned for years, but now it seems like the US is trying to say they were just taking down a terrorist network 
... But at the same time, Maduro is still talking about stealing Venezuela's resources 
... It feels like everyone's playing different roles in this drama 
.
. It's like the US is trying to take their oil and resources without even caring if it hurts the people 
. I mean, think about it - if Trump just takes what he wants without considering the consequences, that's not exactly "success" in my book 
. It's all about politics and power, but at what cost? The Venezuelan people deserve better than to be pawns in a game of global espionage 
. And what about Maduro's point about it being an act of international piracy? Is that really just some fancy way of saying "we're taking your stuff"? 
.
. It feels like a classic case of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" - US wants Maduro out, but does that mean they're willing to take on the risk of letting some extremist group take over? 
like, i know venezuela's got a lot of issues but this is getting outta hand... and the whole thing about Maduro saying its an act of international piracy? 
sounds like a pretty thin excuse to me. what's really going on here? 
. I mean, I get that they're trying to take down this illicit oil network, but there are better ways to do it without resorting to military force.
i dont think its right for us to just take something that doesnt belong to us, like oil from venezuela 
we should be working with them to solve their problems, not trying to steal from them 
anyway, its def going to cause some economic damage and people are gonna suffer 
we need to think about the human side of this situation 
... venezuela needs their resources more than ever with the current crisis and this move could cause even more instability 
max
. international law says nothing about this kind of thing... it's just another example of how powerful countries think they can do whatever they want and get away with it