The United States plans to either retain or sell crude oil and vessels that have been seized from Venezuela. President Donald Trump announced this decision, which occurs amid ongoing US efforts concerning the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, President Trump stated, "we're going to keep it" in reference to the oil. He elaborated, "Maybe we will sell it, maybe we will keep it. Maybe we'll use it in the Strategic Reserves. We're keeping the ships also."
Context of the Seizures
The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of utilizing oil revenues to fund drug-related criminal activities. In response, authorities in Caracas have condemned the seizures, labeling them as "piracy."
This month, the US military has intercepted two oil tankers, with the most recent seizure occurring on Saturday. The US Coast Guard is currently pursuing a third oil tanker. US authorities have described this vessel as part of a Venezuelan "dark fleet" allegedly used to circumvent US sanctions. President Trump commented on the pursuit, stating, "It's moving along, and we'll end up getting it."
Related Incident
Separately on Monday, the US military reported conducting a strike on a vessel identified as a suspected trafficking vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific. The US Southern Command confirmed one fatality resulted from this operation.