Trump Says US Keeping Oil
President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that the United States will retain control of oil and two large tankers seized near Venezuela, signaling an aggressive enforcement of U.S. sanctions and a renewed focus on national security and energy independence.
Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said the seized oil could be used in multiple ways — including potential resale or placement into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“We’re going to keep it,” Trump said. “Maybe we’ll sell it. Maybe we’ll keep it. Maybe we’ll put it in the strategic reserves. We’re keeping the ships, also.”
Coast Guard and Navy Seize Sanctioned Oil Tankers Near Venezuela
The seizures were carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard, with assistance from the U.S. Navy, as part of the Trump administration’s expanded pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his regime’s sanctioned oil exports.
Earlier this month, U.S. forces intercepted a massive tanker named Skipper off Venezuela’s coast. Authorities say the vessel was transporting approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil while falsely flying the flag of Guyana — a tactic commonly used to evade international sanctions.
Days later, President Trump announced that his administration would enforce a blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, warning that vessels involved in illegal oil shipments would be stopped.
Second Tanker Carrying Millions of Barrels of Crude Seized
Over the weekend, U.S. personnel seized a second tanker, Centuries, which was suspected of carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil. According to global energy analytics firm Kpler, the ship had recently loaded nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil at Venezuela’s Port of José Oil Terminal.
Trump also confirmed that U.S. forces are currently pursuing another tanker linked to Venezuela that remains at sea.
“We’ll end up getting it,” Trump told reporters. “It came from the wrong place. It came out of Venezuela, and it was sanctioned.”
U.S. Military Expands Presence in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific
The tanker seizures mark another escalation in the administration’s broader enforcement and security strategy in the region. Since early September, the U.S. military has stepped up operations against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
U.S. Southern Command has also expanded its footprint, deploying warships, Marines, fighter jets, and surveillance aircraft to deter illegal activity and enforce U.S. law.
Administration officials say the effort is aimed at cutting off revenue streams for hostile regimes, protecting American interests, and ensuring sanctions are enforced — a sharp contrast to years of lax enforcement under previous administrations.
