US intends to keep oil from seized tanker, eying more vessels off Venezuela

WASHINGTON: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the United States intends to keep the oil from the tanker the U.S. military seized Wednesday near the coast of oil-rich Venezuela.

AI Brief

US seized a sanctioned oil tanker linked to black-market shipments and plans more actions in coming weeks.
The tanker is undergoing a legal forfeiture process, as oil will be seized following US law.
UN urges restraint as US military buildup near Venezuela fuels fears of escalating regional tensions.

The Trump administration may take more similar actions targeting sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela in the coming weeks, multiple media outlets reported Thursday, citing White House officials. Leavitt refused to answer questions about the White House's future actions.

The seized tanker will sail to a U.S. port and is currently undergoing a forfeiture process, Leavitt said at a White House press briefing.

"The United States does intend to seize the oil. However, there is a legal process for the seizure of that oil and that legal process will be followed," she said.

"It's a sanctioned shadow vessel known for carrying black market sanctioned oil to the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), which, you know, is a sanctioned entity," Leavitt said of the seized tanker.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been concerned about the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, said his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq. "We are calling on all actors to refrain from actions that could further escalate bilateral tensions and destabilize Venezuela and the region," Haq said at a daily briefing.

For almost four months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas.