Trump Confirms US Will Keep or Sell Oil Seized from Venezuelan Tankers Amid Rising Tensions

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will either retain or sell crude oil from tankers seized off the coast of Venezuela, as Washington intensifies pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump said, “We’re going to keep it. 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 seizures, which the Trump administration claims target oil revenues used to fund drug-related crime, have been condemned by Caracas as acts of “piracy.” Two tankers were seized this month, with the US Coast Guard pursuing a third vessel identified as part of a Venezuelan “dark fleet” designed to evade sanctions.

Trump hinted that the aim of the oil confiscations could pressure Maduro to relinquish power. “Well, I think it probably would… That’s up to him what he wants to do,” he said.

Separately, the US military confirmed it carried out a strike on a suspected trafficking vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific, killing one person. Since January, US strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats have resulted in around 100 fatalities, though authorities have not publicly presented evidence linking the vessels to drug shipments.

Trump also signaled plans to extend operations to land targets, warning: “If they want to come by land, they’re going to get blown to pieces, because we don’t want our people poisoned.”

Venezuelan President Maduro dismissed Trump’s remarks, urging the US president to focus on domestic issues. The Maduro government has repeatedly condemned US actions, requesting an emergency UN Security Council session to address what it calls “ongoing US aggression.”

The Trump administration has designated Maduro’s government as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and recently imposed a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. Analysts warn the measures could severely impact the Venezuelan economy, which relies heavily on oil exports for public spending.