Russia’s Putin affirms support for Venezuela after US seizes oil tanker 

An oil tanker seized off the coast of Venezuela will be brought to a United States port, according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who floated the possibility of Washington seizing more sanctioned ships in the region.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Leavitt addressed a US military operation a day prior to take control of the tanker. She explained that the US intends to keep the oil on the vessel, despite protest from Venezuela.

“The vessel will go to a US port, and the United States does intend to seize the oil,” Leavitt told reporters, adding that the proper legal processes would be observed.

She did not rule out similar actions in future. Observers have called Tuesday’s tanker seizure an escalation in the US pressure campaign against the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

“We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black-market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world,” Leavitt said.

Washington has not officially identified the tanker, but British maritime risk firm Vanguard said the vessel appeared to be the crude carrier Skipper.

The tanker was sanctioned in 2022 for allegedly helping to transport oil for Iran’s Quds Force and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.

Caracas has called the seizure an act of “international piracy”.

The US has surged military assets to the Caribbean region in recent months, leading to speculation that the administration of President Donald Trump could be teeing up aggressive actions against Maduro.

Since September 2, the Trump White House has also conducted 22 known strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. That bombing campaign has killed at least 87 people, prompting outcry over alleged violations of international law.

In multiple media appearances, Trump has threatened to continue the bombing campaign on land, possibly in Venezuela itself, to stop alleged drug traffickers.

“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land too,” Trump said at a December 2 cabinet meeting.

“You know, the land is much easier. It’s much easier.  And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we’re going start that very soon, too.”

Experts, however, have dismissed claims that Venezuela is a leading source for the drugs smuggled into the US.

Maduro has said the pressure campaign is aimed at toppling his government.

Also on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed Moscow’s support for Venezuela in a call with Maduro, according to the Kremlin.

“Vladimir Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” the Kremlin said in a readout.

It added that the Russian leader also “confirmed his support for the Maduro government’s policy aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure”.

Venezuela’s government, meanwhile, said in a statement that Maduro and Putin “reaffirmed the strategic, solid and growing nature of their bilateral relations”.

The Russian president, it said, confirmed his commitment to Venezuelan sovereignty and “reiterated that the channels of direct communication between the two nations remain permanently open”.

The threat of US military action has brought renewed attention to Venezuela’s allies, which have dwindled in recent years. Currently, in Latin America, only Nicaragua and Cuba remain closely aligned with Venezuela.

Elsewhere, Caracas maintains close ties with Russia and China, and ties with Iran have strengthened in recent years amid shared opposition to US policy.

Critics have accused the Trump administration of using military pressure in an effort to open Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to US and Western companies, a charge US officials have denied.