US forces seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela, escalating bilateral tensions and dealing a blow to the South American nation’s oil-reliant economy.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to keep the tanker’s cargo — a move Caracas labeled “blatant theft” — sent oil prices higher, and raised fears of international repercussions. Venezuela sends the vast majority of its oil to China, while the ship has been used by Iran as part of its shadow fleet.
The seizure is Washington’s latest apparent attempt to unseat Venezuela’s president, accused by the Trump administration of running a “narcoterrorist” cartel, though Trump extended his threat to other regional leaders, saying Colombia’s president “better wise up or he’ll be next.”