The US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday.
Trump mentioned the operation during remarks after a roundtable discussion Wednesday, saying, “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 ship, Trump responded, "we keep it, I guess."
US officials confirmed, according to Reuters, the interdiction but spoke anonymously because the operation has not been publicly outlined. They said the mission was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard. The officials did not identify the vessel or clarify which flag it was operating under at the time of the seizure.
The ship flew under a different name, Adisa, when it had been previously sanctioned.
The action comes as Trump has ordered a sizable American military deployment in the Carribean, including an aircraft carrier and additional air and naval assets. There are over 15,000 US troops in the Caribbean and some 11 ships. The Trump administration has been actively trying to wipe out the drug trade in the region and has been targeting narco-terrorists on small drug boats.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday that the narco-terrorists were the al-Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere and that they would be treated as such. Blowing ships out of the water has been a controversial move to Democrats in Congress.
Oil markets reacted quickly. Brent crude futures rose 27 cents, or 0.4 percent, to settle at $62.21 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude also climbed, finishing the day at $58.46 per barrel.
Venezuela exported more than 900,000 barrels per day last month, one of its highest levels this year.
Powered by The Post Millennial CMS™ Comments
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
Comments