US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States will either keep or sell crude oil from tankers seized off the coast of Venezuela, along with the vessels themselves.
Speaking in Florida, Trump said the oil “we’re going to keep,” and added it could be sold or placed in the Strategic Reserves.
The seizures are part of ongoing US pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington accuses of using oil revenues to fund drug-related crime. Venezuela has condemned the moves as “piracy.” The US military has already seized two tankers this month and is pursuing a third, described as part of a Venezuelan “dark fleet” designed to evade sanctions.
Trump also warned that the US will expand strikes to land targets to prevent drug trafficking, while Maduro urged Trump to focus on US domestic issues. The escalating tensions have prompted Venezuela to request an emergency UN Security Council session to address what it calls “ongoing US aggression.”
