Donald Trump has not dismissed the potential for a conflict between the US and Venezuela. In an interview with NBC News, the US president stated, “I don’t rule it out, no,” when questioned about the matter. He also mentioned that there could be additional seizures of oil tankers, stating, “It depends. If they’re foolish enough to be sailing along, they’ll be sailing along back into one of our harbours.”
These remarks follow Trump’s directive to impose a “blockade” on sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela earlier this week. Furthermore, US forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on December 10. A brief 45-second video, shared by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, depicted military helicopters and troops boarding the tanker using ropes.
Bondi alleged that the seized vessel, known as The Skipper, was involved in an “illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations” and was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
The seizure has heightened tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who condemned it as “blatant theft” and “an act of international piracy.” In an official statement, Maduro’s government emphasized that the aggression was motivated by a desire to control Venezuela’s oil and energy resources, which belong to the Venezuelan people.
Since September, the US has stationed a naval force of nearly 15,000 troops in the Caribbean close to Venezuela and has targeted 28 suspected drug boats, reportedly resulting in the deaths of over 100 individuals.
The Trump administration has intensified its pressure on Maduro, alleging that Venezuela is a significant source of drug trafficking, particularly of fentanyl and cocaine, into the US. Two Venezuelan criminal groups, Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles, have been designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, with Trump accusing Maduro of leading the latter group, a claim denied by the Venezuelan president. The administration has also asserted that Venezuela is using oil revenue to support “drug terrorism.”
Maduro has consistently denied any involvement in drug trafficking and has accused the US of using the guise of a “war on drugs” to justify his removal from power and to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves, which amount to more than 300 billion barrels, about 20% of the world’s oil supply.