Washington, Dec 21 US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Saturday that the US forces seized another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela earlier in the day.
"In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela," Noem said on X.
The US military seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on December 10, a move the Venezuelan government condemned as "a blatant theft and an act of international piracy," Xinhua news agency reported.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has ordered a total blockade of all US-sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. He also said in a later interview that the United States will continue seizing additional oil tankers.
Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his social media platform. "It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before -- Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."
In the post, Trump announced "A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela" and demanded the return of oil and assets.
The Venezuelan government responded to Trump's post, calling his declaration a "reckless and serious threat," against the country that it says violates international law, free trade and freedom of navigation.
"The President of the United States intends to impose in an absolutely irrational manner, a supposed naval military blockade on Venezuela with the objective of stealing the wealth that belongs to our homeland," the Venezuelan government said in a statement.
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