Iran’s embassy in Caracas condemned the move as a ‘grave violation of international laws and norms.’
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the bureau, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other agencies were involved in the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Dec. 10, stating that it was connected to terrorist organizations.
“Today the FBI and our partners executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela … used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran,” Patel wrote in a post on X.
“The tanker has been used in recent years in an illicit shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”
Patel added that the White House will continue its “efforts to crush” foreign terrorist organizations and cut off their resources.
In response, the Venezuelan government issued a statement accusing the United States of “blatant theft” and described the seizure as “an act of international piracy.” It said it would denounce the incident before international bodies.
Amid a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean Sea, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has alleged that Washington is trying to overthrow his regime and gain control of the nation’s oil resources, which are among the world’s largest crude reserves.
Iran’s embassy in Caracas condemned the move as a “grave violation of international laws and norms” in a post on X on Thursday.
“We condemn this action that is contrary to all international principles and norms,” it said.
Earlier on Wednesday, President Donald Trump confirmed the United States seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast. Administration officials did not name the vessel or disclose its location at the time of the seizure.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela. A large tanker, very large,” Trump said in comments to reporters at the White House. “And other things are happening.”
Guyana’s maritime authority said on Wednesday that the supertanker “Skipper” carrying Venezuelan oil was falsely flying Guyana’s flag.
The authority, which was informed by the U.S. government of the tanker’s seizure, plans to take action against the unauthorized use of the country’s flag, it added.
“The Maritime Administration Department has observed the proliferation and unacceptable trend of the unauthorized use of the Guyana flag by vessels that are not registered in Guyana,” it said in a statement.
