The US Coast Guard has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela, DPA reported, citing several US media outlets.
This is the second such case this month. The tanker was seized in international waters off the coast of Venezuela.
US Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noam, quoted by Reuters, confirmed the news.
The United States "has seized an oil tanker that last docked in Venezuela", Noam wrote in "Ex". She warned that the United States would continue to pursue the illegal transportation of oil, which is used to finance "narco-terrorism in the region".
The U.S. Coast Guard seized the ship before sunrise today "with the support of the Pentagon", Noem said.
The Venezuelan government on Saturday condemned the seizure of an oil tanker by the United States, calling it a grave act of international piracy, Reuters reported.
In an official statement, Venezuelan authorities said that "these actions will not go unpunished", and stressed that they would take "all appropriate measures" measures, including filing a complaint with the UN Security Council, other international organizations and governments around the world.
The supertanker Centuries, carrying up to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil, was sailing under the Panamanian flag, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
This is the second tanker seized by US authorities this month. Unlike the first ship, seized on December 10, Centuries is not on any published US sanctions lists or notices.
The incident could increase tensions between Washington and Caracas. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he did not rule out the possibility of a military conflict with Venezuela, NBC reported, citing an interview with him. Asked whether any U.S. strikes could lead to war, Trump said: "I'm not commenting on that."
Earlier on Saturday, Trump nominated Marine Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan to head U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for operations related to the Venezuelan blockade. Donovan is currently deputy commander of U.S. Special Forces Command. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the US Senate, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Meanwhile, oil production in Venezuela has reached the government's target of 1.2 million barrels per day, Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez said on social media on Saturday, as quoted by Bloomberg.
“This opposes and defeats the harassment, hostility and imperialist illegality that attack and violate the human rights of Venezuelans“, Rodriguez wrote in a post on his “Telegram“ account.
The case marks a further escalation of tensions between Washington and Caracas, DPA notes.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced in a post on his social network “Truth Social”: “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL" that enters and leaves Venezuela. He argues that the South American country has stolen oil, land and other assets from the United States that must be returned.
At the beginning of this century, Venezuela nationalized oil fields, affecting the interests of foreign companies, including from the United States, DPA recalls. This led to disputes and demands for compensation.