The Venezuelan government has strongly condemned the US military’s boarding of an oil tanker off its coast, labeling the operation “a blatant robbery and an act of international piracy.” The US government justified the action, stating the ship was part of an illegal network transporting sanctioned oil. US President Trump described it as the largest tanker ever seized, while Attorney General Bondi and FBI Chief Patel offered slightly conflicting accounts regarding the tanker’s specific origin and destination of the oil, mentioning Venezuela and Iran. Reports from the ‘New York Times’ identified the ship as the ‘Skipper,’ allegedly carrying oil from Venezuela’s state company, though its flag and ultimate destination remained unclear amidst the US statements. Venezuela’s President Maduro accused the Trump administration of escalating conflict to seize the country’s vast oil resources, asserting the aggression targets its natural wealth, not democracy or human rights.

Source: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/venezuela-verurteilt-stuermung-von-oeltanker-durch-us-soldaten-100.html