Trump Declares US Will Retain or Sell Seized Venezuelan Oil

Fri Dec 26 2025 04:56:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

US President Donald Trump stated that the US intends to keep or potentially sell the crude oil seized from Venezuela, as part of ongoing efforts to pressure Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to resign.

In a press conference, Donald Trump announced that the US will retain or sell the crude oil recently seized from Venezuela. He indicated that this move aligns with efforts to pressure Nicolás Maduro, whom the US has accused of corruption and drug trafficking. The US military has actively engaged in seizing oil tankers linked to Venezuelan operations, further escalating tensions between the two nations. Maduro has condemned these actions, calling them acts of piracy.

Donald Trump has said the US will keep or sell the crude oil contained on tankers it has seized off the coast of Venezuela, as well as the vessels themselves.

The US president's comments came as Washington continues to pressure the South American country’s leader Nicolás Maduro to stand down.

Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump said of the oil 'we're going to keep it', adding: 'Maybe we will sell it, maybe we will keep it. Maybe we'll use it in the Strategic Reserves. We're keeping the ships also.'

The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug-related crime, while Caracas has condemned the seizures as 'piracy.'

The US military has seized two oil tankers this month, including one on Saturday. Trump issued his latest warning as the US Coast Guard continued to pursue a third oil tanker, which authorities described as part of a Venezuelan 'dark fleet' used to evade US sanctions.

Trump indicated the situation is continuing to evolve, stating: 'It's moving along, and we'll end up getting it.'

Separately on Monday, the US military said it conducted a strike on a suspected trafficking vessel in international waters, resulting in one death.

When asked whether the goal of the seizures was to force Maduro from power, Trump responded: 'Well, I think it probably would... But again, we're going to find out.'

The US has intensified its military presence in the Pacific and Caribbean seas and conducted operations against alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels, reportedly killing around 100 people.

The Trump administration has designated Maduro's government as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and implemented a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, drawing outrage from Venezuelan officials.

In response, Maduro declared that Trump should focus on his own country's problems, as the UN Security Council plans to hold an emergency session on the issue at Venezuela's request.