President Trump walks to speak with reporters as he leaves the White House on Friday.
Julia Demarie Nickinson/AP
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Julia Demarie Nickinson/AP
WASHINGTON — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped a ship off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The move, confirmed by two US officials familiar with the matter, comes days after Trump announced a “blockade” on all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country, and following the December 10 seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela by US forces.
The officials were not allowed to discuss the ongoing military operation publicly, and spoke on condition of anonymity. One official said the action was described as an “approved boarding of the ship,” with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing US forces to board it.
Pentagon and White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump announced earlier this month that the Coast Guard had seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea and vowed that the United States would implement a blockade of Venezuela. It all comes as Trump has escalated his rhetoric toward Maduro and warned that the longtime Venezuelan leader’s days in power are numbered.
This week, Trump demanded that Venezuela return the assets it seized from American oil companies years ago, once again justifying his announcement of a “siege” on oil tankers traveling to and from the South American country that faces US sanctions.
Trump cited lost US investments in Venezuela when asked about his latest tactics in the pressure campaign against Maduro, suggesting that the Republican administration’s moves are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers have already begun diverting away from Venezuela.
“We will not let anyone pass who should not pass,” Trump told reporters. “You remember they took all our energy rights. They took all our oil not long ago. And we want it back. They took it, they took it illegally.”