The United States has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking one of the most assertive maritime actions taken by Washington in the ongoing standoff with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump confirmed the operation on Wednesday, describing it as the largest tanker ever seized by the U.S. and asserting that it was taken “for a very good reason,” though he offered no further specifics.

The operation was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the Navy, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Law enforcement authority was cited as the legal basis for the seizure. The dramatic intervention comes amid the largest U.S. military presence in the Caribbean in decades, part of a broader campaign that has included lethal strikes on alleged narcotics-trafficking vessels in the region. That strategy is now drawing intensified scrutiny from Congress.

Footage shared on social media by Attorney General Pam Bondi captured the moment Coast Guard personnel fast-roped onto the tanker from a helicopter deployed from the USS Gerald R. Ford, a carrier stationed in the Caribbean as part of the show of force. Bondi said the tanker had been sanctioned for years due to its role in an illicit oil-shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.

Venezuelan officials condemned the action as “international piracy,” arguing that the seizure reveals Washington’s true intentions: control over Venezuela’s natural resources. In a statement, Caracas insisted the move is part of a long-standing effort by the United States to undermine the country’s sovereignty and economic stability.

The vessel, identified as the Skipper, departed Venezuela earlier this month carrying roughly two million barrels of heavy crude. Documents from state oil company PDVSA indicate that about half of the cargo belonged to a Cuban state-owned importer. Previously known as the M/T Adisa, the tanker had been sanctioned in 2022 for allegedly participating in a covert oil-smuggling network linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah. The Treasury Department has described the network as a sophisticated global operation run through shell companies and ghost tankers designed to evade international sanctions.

Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, relies heavily on PDVSA for its economic livelihood. The industry has been crippled by U.S. sanctions since 2020, when the Trump administration intensified pressure on Maduro by threatening secondary sanctions on anyone doing business with his government. Russia and Iran have since facilitated Venezuela’s efforts to bypass restrictions through opaque trading mechanisms and clandestine maritime routes.

While Maduro did not comment directly on the tanker seizure during a rally in Caracas, he told supporters that Venezuela stands ready “to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.” U.S. lawmakers, meanwhile, are demanding answers. Senator Chris Van Hollen argued that the incident undermines the administration’s stated rationale for the regional military escalation, calling the explanation “a big lie” and asserting that the broader campaign is aimed at “regime change by force.”

The tanker operation coincided with a recent U.S. military flyover near Venezuelan airspace and comes as the administration faces questions over the legality of deadly maritime strikes that have killed at least 87 people since September. Congressional leaders are pressuring the Pentagon to release unedited footage of those operations. For now, the White House has offered no additional comment on the seized vessel or its cargo.