The recent seizure of an oil tanker known as Skipper by the U.S. off the coast of Venezuela marks a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign to choke off Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s access to oil revenues.

Video shows the moment the United States seized an oil tank off the coast of Venezuela amid a months-long buildup of American military forces surrounding the South American country. The video,

The vessel, known as "The Skipper," was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard and other U.S. agencies on Wednesday. It was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022. According to a 2022 Treasury Department notice, the tanker was one of several vessels used for illicit oil shipments by a Gulf-based businessman named Viktor Artemov.

Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is unusual and marks the Trump administration's latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism.

The United States is escalating its pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, after seizing an oil tanker off the coast.

The U.S. seizes an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast as the Trump administration continues to escalate military activity in the region. Republicans scramble for a health care plan. And, an uptick in poisoning from death cap mushrooms worries the foraging community.

Oil prices closed lower on Friday, marking a 4% weekly decline as a supply glut and a potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal outweighed worries about any impact from the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela.