'Blatant theft and act of piracy': US seizes Venezuelan oil tanker in dramatic escalation

The US has ignited outrage after seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker in what Caracas compared to Israel’s pattern of unlawful military aggression and resource appropriation, denouncing the move as a blatant “act of international piracy.”

President Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday that US forces had taken control of the massive tanker Skipper—carrying roughly 2 million barrels of heavy crude—off Venezuela’s coast, declaring, “I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”

The aggression, executed using helicopters launched from the USS Gerald Ford, marks one of the most dramatic escalations in Washington’s four-month pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.

Caracas blasted the seizure as “a grave international crime” that “constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.”

“The true motives have always been our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the government said.

It said the US is mirroring Israel’s long-criticized tactics of seizing resources, violating sovereignty, and using military force to achieve political goals, all under the guise of security operations.

US officials claimed the vessel—sanctioned since 2022—was part of an illicit oil network supporting foreign militant groups.

But analysts say Washington is exploiting its expanded militarization of the Caribbean, much like Israel’s justification of force in occupied territories, to pursue Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

The tanker’s capture comes amid an intense US military campaign in the region, including 22 lethal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats since September that have killed more than 80 people.

Critics describe the attacks as extrajudicial and reminiscent of the impunity often attributed to Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.

Maduro, addressing supporters in Caracas, urged Venezuelans to be prepared to confront “the North American empire,” stating that Washington is weaponizing sanctions, naval power, and covert operations to undermine Venezuelan sovereignty.

US seeking to take control of Venezuela’s oil, analyst says

Kevin Barrett, an editor at the Veterans Today news website, believes the United States’ so-called war on drug cartels in the Caribbean is merely a pretext for seizing control of Venezuela’s oil supplies.

In past months, the US has ramped up its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, which borders Venezuela to the north. US military build-up in the region includes the deployment of US warships and thousands of American troops positioned near Venezuela.

On Wednesday, the two helicopters used to seize the Skipper were launched from the USS Gerald Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, which was sent to the Caribbean last month.

Ten Coast Guard members, 10 Marines, as well as special forces, were used to seize the oil tanker.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who is under pressure over what many legal experts see as war crimes  during the campaign against the Latin American region, oversaw the seizure of the oil tanker.

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