US forces have taken control of an oil tanker near Venezuela in a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations. President Donald Trump confirmed the seizure during a White House meeting, following his recent warning of potential military actions in Venezuela as part of the US’s intensified anti-drug efforts in Latin America. Trump refrained from specifying if US troops would enter Venezuela but asserted that the days of President Maduro are limited.

According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the oil tanker, previously known as the M/T Adisa and now identified as the Skipper, has been under US sanctions for its involvement in an illegal oil shipping network aiding foreign terrorist groups. The vessel was part of a scheme accused of smuggling crude oil for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The Skipper, carrying about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, departed Venezuela on December 2. Around half of the oil was linked to a Cuban state-run oil importer, as revealed by documents from Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., obtained anonymously. Venezuela condemned the US’s actions as “international piracy” and accused the US of coveting their natural resources, particularly oil.

President Trump’s threat towards Colombia and President Gustavo Petro followed the oil tanker seizure. Trump warned Petro to be cautious, alleging Colombia’s involvement in cocaine production. Petro, denying his government’s drug ties, criticized the US’s actions as a “massacre.”

The interception of the oil tanker represents a critical escalation in US-Venezuela tensions, shifting focus from drug-related operations to oil shipments that fund Maduro’s regime. Venezuela, holding significant oil reserves, accuses the US of attempting to seize its resources through force. Trump emphasized the significance of the seizure without disclosing further details, hinting at forthcoming information releases.