The U.S. Navy seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters.

Bloomberg quoted informed sources as saying that US forces intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

This move represents a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas.

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that the United States had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, amid escalating tensions and pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The US Department of Defense released a video showing US forces seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela today: — Mohammed | MFU (@mfu46) December 10, 2025

This move is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been indicted in the United States on terrorism charges related to drug trafficking.

Trump told reporters at the White House:"We just seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. It's a huge tanker, in fact, it's the largest one ever seized."