Washington — The U.S. has seized a big oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Trump mentioned Wednesday, escalating tensions between the 2 international locations. The president mentioned he assumes the U.S. will maintain the oil.
Bloomberg first reported the oil tanker seizure. The president made the remark throughout a roundtable assembly on the White Home, saying the tanker was “seized for an excellent purpose.”
“As you in all probability know, we have simply seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a big tanker, very massive,” he mentioned. “Largest one ever seized, truly. And different issues are taking place, so you will be seeing that later and you will be speaking about that later with another folks.”
When requested by a reporter what’s going to occur to the oil on the ship, Mr. Trump responded, “Nicely we maintain it, I assume,” including, “I assume we will maintain the oil.”
The president declined to say who owns the oil tanker, and did not present additional particulars.
Mr. Trump has been threatening to increase the US’ monthslong marketing campaign of strikes on alleged drug boats within the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans onto land in Venezuela. The U.S. has been steadily build up its army forces within the space, and deployed two fighter jets to fly over the Gulf of Venezuela simply this week.
“We will begin doing these strikes on land, too,” Mr. Trump advised reporters throughout a Cupboard assembly final week, when requested concerning the administration’s strikes at sea. “You realize, the land is far simpler … And we all know the routes they take. We all know every part about them. We all know the place they dwell. We all know the place the dangerous ones dwell. And we will begin that very quickly, too.”
