U.S. forces abseil onto an oil tanker during a raid described by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as its seizure by the United States off the coast of Venezuela, December 10, 2025, in a still image from video.
U.S. Attorney General | Via Reuters
The U.S. is preparing to seize more oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Thursday.
The development suggests that the White House is planning a broader campaign against Venezuela’s oil exports. The U.S. seized a tanker on Wednesday that had allegedly transported oil from Venezuela to Iran.
The oil market has been focused on Ukraine peace talks and so far is not indicating a risk of a major supply disruption. U.S. crude oil was last down $1.04, 1.78%, to $57.42 a barrel. Global benchmark Brent was at $61.11, down $1.10, or 1.77%.
The sources told Reuters that U.S. is expected to target more ships transporting Venezuelan crude in the coming weeks.
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Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/11/us-preparing-to-seize-more-oil-tankers-off-venezuela-coast-report.html
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