Donald Trump said the United States will keep or sell crude oil seized from tankers off the coast of Venezuela. The US will also keep the vessels themselves.
The comments come as Washington steps up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump said the US plans to keep the oil. He added that officials may sell it, store it, or place it in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He also confirmed that the US will keep the seized ships.
The Trump administration says Venezuela uses oil revenue to fund drug-related crime. In response, Caracas has condemned the seizures and called them piracy.
So far this month, the US military has seized two oil tankers, including one on Saturday. At the same time, the US Coast Guard continues to chase a third tanker. Authorities say it belongs to a Venezuelan dark fleet that evades US sanctions.
“It’s moving along, and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump said.
Separately, the US military said it carried out a strike on a suspected trafficking vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific. US Southern Command said one person died in the strike.
When asked whether the seizures aim to force Maduro from power, Trump said they probably would. However, he said the final decision rests with Maduro. Trump added that stepping down would be the smart move.
Meanwhile, the US has expanded its military presence in the Pacific and Caribbean Seas. It has also carried out deadly strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug smuggling boats. These operations have killed about 100 people.
However, the military has not released public evidence that the boats carried drugs. As a result, Congress has increased its scrutiny of the strikes.
On Monday, Trump said the US also plans to strike targets on land. He warned that any land-based trafficking would face severe consequences. He said the US wants to prevent drugs from harming Americans.
Later, Maduro responded on state television. He said Trump should focus on economic and social problems inside the United States. He added that the world would benefit if the US stayed out of Venezuela’s affairs.
Since returning to the office in January, Trump has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture. He has accused the Venezuelan leader of being a major narco trafficker.
In addition, the Trump administration has labeled Maduro’s government a foreign terrorist organization. Last week, it ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
Because Venezuela depends heavily on oil exports to fund public spending, the new measures have angered officials in Caracas. As a result, Venezuela has asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting.
The council is set to meet on Tuesday to discuss what the Venezuelan government calls ongoing US aggression.
