A seized Venezuelan oil tanker is being diverted to Houston, carrying 1.85 million barrels of crude amid rising tensions between the US and Venezuela.
A Venezuelan oil tanker seized by US forces this week is being diverted to Houston, according to reports from Newsweek.
The vessel, carrying an estimated 1.85 million barrels of Merey heavy crude, was intercepted off the coast of Venezuela. Sources informed Reuters that the tanker is too large to enter the Houston port directly and will need to offload its cargo onto smaller ships.
President Donald Trump stated that the US intends to retain the oil, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that a legal process will follow. Caracas has condemned the seizure, labeling it as 'international piracy' and 'brazen theft,' accusing Washington of attempting to control Venezuela's resources.
In response, Russia has demanded explanations, with President Vladimir Putin reaching out to Nicolas Maduro to offer support and discuss a strategic partnership. A senior US official described the action as judicial enforcement against a stateless vessel that last docked in Venezuela.
Venezuela's oil output has plummeted from over two million barrels per day to approximately one million. This seizure occurs amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean and operations targeting alleged drug smuggling boats. Trump has reiterated threats of intervention by land, air, or sea, including a fighter jet flyover near Venezuelan airspace.
