The U.S. seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday.
The tanker’s ownership and origin are unknown; however, Trump told reporters Wednesday that the vessel was “very large” while not immediately offering a rationale for the seizure. The U.S. military has slowly been ramping up its presence and operations in the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela for months, fueling speculation of a looming full-scale confrontation with Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.
“As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said in his remarks to the press. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized actually.”
Trump also hinted at potential future action, saying that “other things are happening” in his remarks to reporters. Trump said in an interview with Politico on Tuesday that Maduro’s “days are numbered.”
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information.
