The US military detained a sanctioned oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela, indicating a significant escalation of tension.

The US military intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two countries. "We just took a ship in the vicinity of Venezuela, a very big ship, bigger than anything we've taken," said President Donald Trump at the White House, "There are other things happening as well." A senior official in the Trump administration referred to the ship as a "stateless vessel" with its last known destination being Venezuela. Following this news, crude oil futures prices rose, with London Brent crude futures settling up 0.4%. Several hours later, US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video on X showing heavily armed troops rappelling onto the deck of the oil tanker from a Black Hawk helicopter, using a tactic known as "fast rope descent," a standard assault team technique. She wrote, "For years, this tanker has been sanctioned by the US for its involvement in illegal oil transport networks supporting foreign terrorist organizations." This move by the US could make it even more difficult for Venezuela to export its oil, as other shipping companies may now be less willing to load their goods.