Officials say the vessel was linked to an illicit oil network supporting sanctioned regimes.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump Administration on Wednesday released unclassified video footage showing U.S. forces seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast. The operation involved the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, and Department of War, with support from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, according to officials.
The action followed earlier reports by Bloomberg confirming that U.S. forces had taken control of the vessel in a coordinated maritime operation. President Donald Trump later confirmed the seizure during a White House roundtable, calling it “the largest one ever seized.”
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said. “Large tanker, very large. Largest one ever seized… It was seized for a very good reason.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the tanker had long been sanctioned for facilitating shipments of oil between Venezuela and Iran, countries under U.S. sanctions. “For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” Bondi stated.
She added that the seizure “was conducted safely and securely,” noting that investigations remain ongoing to disrupt oil transport tied to sanctioned regimes.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the agency’s role in the operation, saying, “Today the FBI and our partners executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela — used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran.”
The video released by the administration shows U.S. service members fast-roping from helicopters onto the ship’s deck during the operation.
Bondi emphasized that the seizure was part of broader U.S. efforts to “prevent the transport of sanctioned oil” and disrupt financial networks tied to hostile foreign powers.
Original article
Comments