US seizes oil tanker 'just hours' after sneaking Venezuelan opposition leader out of country

The U.S. seized an oil tanker off Venezuela, escalating pressure on leader Nicolás Maduro. The action occurred shortly after opposition leader María Corina Machado fled the country with U.S. assistance, giving the Trump administration a chance to act more aggressively. This marks the first tanker seizure since Trump ordered a military build-up in the region.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that federal agencies conducted the seizure under a warrant due to the tanker transporting sanctioned oil. The tanker, identified by Vanguard as the Skipper, was involved in Iranian oil trading and had loaded 1.1 million barrels of heavy crude from Venezuela.

Following the news, oil futures increased. Maduro did not comment on the seizure during a public event.