BREAKING: US seizes second oil tanker off Venezuela coast

The United States has seized a second ship off the coast of Venezuela in another move as tensions between the countries have escalated further. Video of the operation was posted to X by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem.  

Noem posted to X, "In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you."

This is the second oil tanker that the Trump administration has seized off the coast of Venezuela as the president has continued to pressure Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro. 

DHS said in a post about the operation, "This morning @USCG in coordination with the @DeptofWar executed a lightning strike operation to seize the Motor Tanker Centuries, which is suspected of carrying oil subject to U.S. sanctions. The iron fist of America’s joint military and federal law enforcement rules the waves."

The first tanker was seized by the US government earlier in December, and when speaking about the operation, Trump said, “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening.”

When asked what would happen to the oil on the first ship at the time, Trump responded, "We keep it, I guess." 

The seizing of the oil tankers are part of a greater escalation of pressure the Trump administration has been using against the Maduro regime.