Venezuela denounces US oil tanker seizure as ‘barefaced robbery’

Watch Venezuela denounces US oil tanker seizure as ‘barefaced robbery’ - Straight Arrow News on Dailymotion

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00:00The Trump administration has taken its Venezuela crackdown to a new level,

00:07seizing what the president calls the largest oil tanker ever taken in a federal crackdown.

00:12During an event at the White House on Wednesday,

00:15the president confirmed the takedown and hinted at more to come.

00:19As you probably know, we've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,

00:26a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized, actually.

00:32And other things are happening.

00:35Can you explain a little more about this Venezuelan oil tanker and share a little more information?

00:41Well, I'll let the people do it, but you see the result,

00:43and I guess they probably have released the pictures by now or pretty soon.

00:49You'll discuss that with the appropriate people later on, but no, it was seized for a very good reason.

00:54And now we're seeing video of the operation right here.

00:59Attorney General Pam Bondi posted this video on X,

01:02saying the tanker had been moving sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran

01:06and was part of an illicit shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.

01:11She says the seizure was carried out by the FBI, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Coast Guard

01:17with support from the Department of Defense, and that it was done safely and securely.

01:21U.S. officials say the ship, identified as the skipper,

01:25was intercepted in international waters on Wednesday morning.

01:29They say it was carrying Venezuelan crude from PDVSA

01:32and had been previously linked to smuggling Iranian oil.

01:36A federal judge signed the seizure warrant about two weeks ago,

01:39tied to the vessel's past involvement in that global smuggling network.

01:44Venezuela's government is blasting the seizure,

01:46calling it a bare-faced robbery and an act of international piracy,

01:51aimed at stripping the country of its oil and wealth.

01:54Caracas has repeatedly accused the U.S.

01:56of trying to strangle Venezuela's oil industry.

01:59This comes after more than 20 U.S. strikes on boats

02:02the administration says were moving drugs for the Venezuelan military,

02:06operations that have killed more than 80 people since September.