Name: U.S. seizes second oil tanker off Venezuela as Trump warns Maduro
Uploaded: 2025-12-23T01:47:02.702Z
Duration: 1 min 51 s
Description: An elite unit of the Coast Guard seized control of a second tanker the U.S. said was carrying sanctioned oil in the waters off the coast of Venezuela. President Trump said he will not back down from his pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

An elite unit of the Coast Guard seized control of a second tanker the U.S. said was carrying sanctioned oil in the waters off the coast of Venezuela. President Trump said he will not back down from his pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Washington

A U.S. Coast Guard unit seized a second oil tanker transporting sanctioned oil off the coast of Venezuela, as part of the Trump administration's ongoing pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Officials confirmed that a third tanker is being pursued, while the first seized vessel, the Skipper, is nearing the port of Galveston, Texas.

The escalation in tactics, including the destruction of alleged drug smuggling boats, has drawn both praise and criticism from U.S. officials and lawmakers. The Venezuelan government condemned the seizures as theft and kidnapping, while President Trump also announced plans for two new Trump-class battleships for the U.S. Navy.

U.S. seizes second oil tanker off Venezuela as Trump warns Maduro

An elite unit of the Coast Guard Saturday seized control of another tanker in the waters off the coast of Venezuela. Officials say the ship was carrying sanctioned oil. This afternoon, President Trump said he will not back down from his pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He can do whatever he wants. It's all right. Whatever he wants to do. If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it will be the last time he's ever able to play tough. It was the second vessel seized by the U.S. The first, a tanker called the Skipper, boarded by a Coast Guard team 10 days ago, is approaching the port of Galveston, Texas. The Coast Guard is also pursuing a third oil tanker, according to a U.S. official. The ship apparently evaded capture. It's moving along and we'll end up getting it. Yeah, we're actually pursuing it. The seizure of oil vessels is a ratcheting up of the Trump administration's campaign against what it calls the narco state of Venezuela. Since September, the U.S. military has destroyed 28 alleged drug smuggling boats it says were headed to the U.S. We save 25,000 lives every single time we knock out a boat, and it's over 96% stopped by sea. The new tactic of seizing the tankers is drawing praise. I support the idea of standing up to Maduro, and I want him to go. I am all in the camp for regime change. And criticism from members of Congress. I consider it a provocation and a prelude to war, and I hope we don't go to war with Venezuela. In a statement, the government of Venezuela called this weekend's actions theft and kidnapping. Jericho, today President Trump announced plans to build two new Trump-class battleships as part of a new golden fleet for the U.S. Navy, and he says he will be personally involved in the design.

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