US troops seized a “very large” oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast on Wednesday, authorities said, the latest in a series of escalating military moves against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela and Iran protested at the act of "piracy" after the seizure of the tanker, which was allegedly being used to transport Iranian oil.
Forces from the US Coastguard rappelled from a helicopter on to the vessel's deck in broad daylight before commandeering the bridge at gunpoint, video released by US authorities showed.
“We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large – the largest one ever seized, actually,” President Donald Trump said at the White House.
“Other things are happening, so you'll be seeing that later.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who published a video of the operation on X, said the oil tanker had been under US sanctions for years and that it had been used to smuggle oil from Venezuela and Iran.
The tanker was part of an “illicit oil shipping network”, she said.
It “was seized for a very good reason”, Mr Trump added.
Venezuela responded by saying the seizure is an "act of international piracy".
The government, in a statement, alleged that the "policy of aggression" against Venezuela is part of a "deliberate plan to plunder our energy resources".
Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called the US "murderers, thieves, pirates".
Iran's embassy in Caracas condemned the action as a "grave violation of international laws and norms" in a post on X on Thursday. It described it as an act of "piracy in the Caribbean Sea".
"The illegal move by the US government to seize a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea without any justified or legal reason constitutes a blatant violation of international laws and regulations, including the inviolable principle of freedom of the seas and navigation,” the embassy said.
It expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people in defending their national sovereignty and absolute rights.
The takeover of the tanker comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Mr Maduro in what the leftist leader says is an attempt to overthrow him.
Mr Trump told Politico on Monday that Mr Maduro's “days are numbered” and declined to rule out a US ground invasion against Venezuela.
The US military has amassed an armada of warships in the Caribbean, including the world's largest aircraft carrier. The build-up is supposedly to stop drug smuggling from South America to the US, and the Pentagon has carried out more than 20 strikes on speedboats allegedly smuggling drugs, killing more than 80 people.
US media reported that the tanker was heading for Cuba, another American rival.
A strong response of support was shown from the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel, who were part of the operation.
"America rules the waves," Ms Noem said on X.
"If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you. Thank you to our brave service members," she said.
The Department of Homeland Security also shared footage from the seizure with the caption "KNOCKOUT".
Mr Patel said that the administration’s efforts to "crush FTO's [foreign terror organisations] and cut off their resources will continue day and night".
Washington has accused Mr Maduro of leading the alleged “Cartel of the Suns”, which it declared a “narco-terrorist” organisation last month.
The Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 soldiers on Saturday after Mr Maduro called for stepped-up military recruitment.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuelan campaigner opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
