West Palm Beach, Florida —President Donald Trump said Monday the US remains in active pursuit of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, more than 24 hours after the chase began, while repeating his threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Those interdictions have come amid a massive US naval buildup in the Caribbean Sea as Trump applies pressure on Maduro, including attempts to cut off his oil revenues. Trump on Monday declined to answer a question about his endgame in Venezuela, even as he again raised the threat of land strikes and said it’d be “smart” for Maduro to step down. On Saturday, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. The US seized a large oil tanker called the Skipper, which had been under sanctions for its ties to Iran, on December 10.

Source: CNN December 23, 2025 00:17 UTC