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A Venezuelan flag in La Guaira, Vargas State, Venezuela, on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.
Bloomberg | Getty Photos
U.S. forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump stated Wednesday.
“We have simply seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela — a big tanker,” Trump stated throughout a gathering within the Roosevelt Room on the White Home. He supplied no element on who owned the tanker or its vacation spot.
U.S. crude oil was up 70 cents, or 1.2%, to $58.95 per barrel at 3:12 p.m. ET. International benchmark Brent rose 71 cents, or 1.15%, to $62.65 a barrel.
Trump has escalated stress on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in latest weeks. The president stated Maduro’s “days are numbered” in an interview with Politico printed Tuesday. He wouldn’t rule out a floor invasion of the South American nation.
“I do not wish to rule in or out. I do not speak about it,” Trump informed Politico.
The White Home has undertaken a big army buildup within the Caribbean and launched controversial, lethal strikes in opposition to boats that it claims have been trafficking medication to the U.S.
Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and has the biggest confirmed oil reserves on this planet. It’s exporting about 749,000 barrels per day this 12 months with at the least half that oil going to China, in accordance with knowledge from vitality consulting agency Kpler.
Venezuela exports about 132,000 bpd to the U.S., in accordance with Kpler.
“Shippers will probably be way more cautious and hesitant about loading Venezuelan crude going ahead,” stated Matt Smith, an oil analyst at Kpler.
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