The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid a monthslong buildup of military forces surrounding the country, President Trump confirmed on Dec. 10."As you probably know, we've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela," Trump said at a meeting at the White House."Largest one ever seized, actually. And other things are happening."Trump declined to provide additional details about the tanker to reporters and said the administration would be releasing more information at a later time.“You see the result, and I guess they probably released the pictures by now – pretty soon,” Trump said. “You’ll discuss that with the appropriate people later on.”The president added, “It was seized for a very good reason.”Asked by a reporter what happens to the oil on the tanker, Trump said: “You’re a good newsman. Just follow the tank.”“I assume we’re going to keep the oil,” Trump said. The vessel was under U.S. sanctions, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. The people said the cargo on board was owned by a businessman with ties to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the boat was bound for Cuba, the people said.The news was first reported by Bloomberg.It comes after the U.S. has built up military forces around Venezuela for months in a pressure campaign by the Trump administration to remove Maduro.U.S. Southern Command and the Pentagon referred USA TODAY to the White House for comment.>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/10/us-venezuela-oil-tanker/87704943007/
>>1464179 (Cont)Separately, the U.S. military has launched 22 strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 87 people, including some Venezuelans. Critics have called the strikes, which have not been approved by Congress, illegal and said they amount to extrajudicial assassinations.Trump and his officials have said Maduro is the leader of a criminal enterprise called Cartel de los Soles. Experts have told USA TODAY that Cartel de los Soles is a loose network of corruption and not a real drug trafficking organization.Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials were indicted on drug trafficking and corruption charges in 2020.The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for two decades. Late last month, the Trump administration declared Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for heavy sanctions against it and any entities with which it does business.In July, the Trump administration walked back a February move to cut off U.S. oil giant Chevron from doing business in Venezuela.OTHER SOURCES:>https://fox8.com/news/trump-us-has-seized-an-oil-tanker-off-the-coast-of-venezuela/>https://tass.com/world/2056743>https://www.nsnews.com/world-news/trump-says-the-us-has-seized-an-oil-tanker-off-the-coast-of-venezuela-11607400
Unless they started making cocaine based oil, this seems like straight up piracy.
>>1464179>Republican president gets elected swearing they won't invade any other countries>A year later...>Said Republican president invades another countryDonald seems like a man with a plan, I'm sure it'll go fine.
>>1464183It objectively IS straight up piracy. They weren't in US waters and weren't even going to the US.
>>1464179>The president added, “It was seized for a very good reason.”>Asked by a reporter what happens to the oil on the tanker, Trump said: “You’re a good newsman. Just follow the tank.”>“I assume we’re going to keep the oil,” Trump said.Incredible.
>>1464179Call it now: how much of the profits are funneled into trumpcoin?
He plans to sell it back to them at 50 cents on the dollar
>>1464190So the US is just outright bandits now. No war declared, no law broken, just "This is our oil now"
>>1464189>>1464203There's still 9 more days to do stupid shit like this until the files are to be released.
There are WMDs on the boat. Weapons of Mass Distraction
>>1464179>>1464183This is why China is doing the Belt and Road Initiative. They don't want to deal with U.S. piracy on the ocean. The U.S. knows they can't compete with it, and are therefore causing insurrections along the path.
>>1464205Distraction from Minnesota having the largest welfare fraud in history
>>1464208>Why pay attention to my price of living when some anon claims there's fraud in a flyover state?
>>1464179Does Venezuela have any recourse?
>>1464214>Just ignore all of the Democrat fraud and money laundering at every level that has caused massive inflation and lame orange Hitler
>>1464233Yeah I'm sure random bullshit about Somalis is what caused inflation, and not the tariffs currently killing multiple industries that Trump is too retarded to realize were a terrible idea.Anyways, US Coast Guard are pirates now. Pro-peace president everyone.
>>1464179>shit on Somalis for weeks>become the Somali pirates of the pacific
>>1464224they can call on Canada.
>>1464258Every accusation is a confession with trump
>>1464179ngl if this lowers gas prices then I don't give a fuck
>>1464179So Trump is just going to squeeze Venezuela to the point there won't be a full on war to begin with? It's commie oil btw going to commie Cuba,they bought it.
