Trump says US will keep or sell seized Venezuela oil

US Venezuela oil crisis deepens as Trump says the US may keep or sell seized Venezuelan oil tankers amid rising tensions with Maduro.

The United States has announced plans to either keep or sell oil seized from Venezuelan tankers, according to President Donald Trump. The move comes as Washington intensifies pressure on Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking in Florida, Trump said the seized crude oil could be sold on the market or stored in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He also confirmed that the US plans to retain control of the captured vessels. According to US officials, these tankers are part of a so-called Venezuelan “dark fleet” allegedly used to bypass American sanctions.

The US military has already taken control of two oil tankers in recent weeks and is actively tracking another vessel in international waters. Authorities claim these operations are linked to efforts to stop illegal oil trading and drug trafficking, though public evidence has not been released.

Trump suggested the seizures could increase pressure on Maduro to step down but said the final decision rests with the Venezuelan leader. He also warned that the US may expand operations beyond sea routes to land-based targets if necessary, citing concerns over drug smuggling into the United States.

Venezuela strongly condemned the actions, calling them acts of piracy and illegal aggression. In response, President Maduro criticized Trump’s foreign policy and urged him to focus on domestic problems instead of interfering in Venezuelan affairs.

The situation has now reached the United Nations, where an emergency Security Council meeting has been requested by Venezuela to address what it calls ongoing US aggression. As Venezuela heavily depends on oil exports for its economy, the latest developments could have serious economic and geopolitical consequences.