United States President Donald Trump has said the US government will either keep or sell crude oil seized from Venezuelan tankers, as Washington intensifies pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and expands military operations across the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump confirmed that both the seized oil and vessels intercepted off Venezuela’s coast would remain under US control.
According to him, the administration is weighing several options regarding the confiscated crude, including selling it on the open market or adding it to the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“We’re going to keep it,” Trump said. “Maybe we will sell it, maybe we will keep it. Maybe we’ll use it in the Strategic Reserves. We’re keeping the ships also.”
The remarks followed recent US military actions that led to the seizure of two oil tankers this month, including one intercepted over the weekend.
The US Coast Guard is also reportedly pursuing a third vessel, which authorities have described as part of a Venezuelan “dark fleet” allegedly used to bypass international sanctions.
Trump suggested that additional seizures were imminent, stating that the ongoing maritime operations were progressing steadily.
“It’s moving along, and we’ll end up getting it,” he said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and organised crime, allegations the Venezuelan government strongly denies. Caracas has described the seizures as acts of “piracy” and a violation of international law.
When asked whether the seizures were intended to force President Maduro out of office, Trump responded ambiguously, saying such pressure could influence Maduro’s decisions but insisting the outcome remained uncertain.
Meanwhile, the US military confirmed that it carried out a strike on a suspected trafficking vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific on Monday.
The US Southern Command said one person was killed during the operation.
Trump also warned that US enforcement actions would extend beyond maritime routes, threatening severe consequences for suspected traffickers attempting to move drugs over land.
“We’ll be starting the same programme on land,” he said. “If they want to come by land, they’re going to end up having a big problem.”
The US has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean and Pacific Seas, reportedly carrying out multiple strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels.
These operations have drawn scrutiny from members of Congress, particularly due to the lack of publicly released evidence confirming that the targeted vessels were transporting drugs.
Responding to Trump’s comments, President Maduro said on state television that the US leader should focus on domestic economic and social issues instead of interfering in Venezuela’s affairs.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, designated Venezuela’s government as a foreign terrorist organisation, and ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving the country.
Venezuela has condemned the measures and requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, to discuss what it calls ongoing US aggression