US seizes oil tanker, "largest one ever seized".

https://apnews.com/article/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0

Yeah, but from what I've gathered it's not that simple.

 

Since there may be plans to set up factories in Latin America, then the resources may benefit the Latin Americans because they would be extracted for production and create factory jobs and stimulate the economy.

 

The US is providing the largest consumer market in the world in exchange for the resources.

 

So the resources would probably benefit the people more in the hands of the US than Maduro. 

 

 

52 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Yeah, but from what I've gathered it's not that simple.

 

Since there may be plans to set up factories in Latin America, then the resources may benefit the Latin Americans because they would be extracted for production and create factory jobs and stimulate the economy.

 

The US is providing the largest consumer market in the world in exchange for the resources.

 

So the resources would probably benefit the people more in the hands of the US than Maduro. 

 

 

What kind of MAGA-docian illogic is that?

 

Perhaps we'll seize all the oil of Saudi Arabia next, as the corrupt terrorist-funding Royal Family lets precious little of the wealth filter down to the average Bedouin.

A little more organized than Somalian pirates, but basically the same outcome

Those US oil refineries must be getting really desperate for oil for Trump to steal this shipment. As I understand it, they are built to process heavy crude, not the lighter stuff the US itself extracts.

 

When is the US going to learn that weaponising it's currency and using it's power to steal from, and exert control over other countries is what has got them into the state they are today?

It's why so many countries are joining BRICS. Trump is destroying the US. 

 

The EU and UK will follow suit trying to steal confiscated Russian funds too.

14 minutes ago, kwonitoy said:

A little more organized than Somalian pirates, but basically the same outcome

 

Ok, they just seized an oil tanker, WTF are they going to do with it?

Park it in Chesapeake Bay?

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/10/trump-admin-seizes-oil-tanker-off-venezuela-coast-reports

 

Punishment for violating sanctions?

The US has taken action to seize high-value materials linked to Venezuela in the past. In February 2024, under then-President Joe Biden, the US seized a cargo plane Iran allegedly sold to Venezuela, claiming it violated sanctions on Tehran.

 

Then, a year later, the Trump administration seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX jet linked to a state-run oil company in Venezuela, also claiming sanctions violations, this time against restrictions on the South American country.

 

The Maduro government denounced that confiscation as “brazen theft”.

 

1 hour ago, Wingate said:

What kind of MAGA-docian illogic is that?

 

Perhaps we'll seize all the oil of Saudi Arabia next, as the corrupt terrorist-funding Royal Family lets precious little of the wealth filter down to the average Bedouin.

 

Sorry, most of us don't have all the facts at hand, so we're stumbling in the dark.

There are probably many talks and negotiations that take place before these types of attacks. 

 

According to AI:

 

Venezuela possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves, far exceeding its domestic needs, but struggles to extract and sell it due to heavy, hard-to-process crude, deteriorated infrastructure, mismanagement, and U.S. sanctions, leading to low production despite immense potential.

 

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So Venezueala is sitting on all this oil exceeding its domestic needs, but can't extract it due to deteriorated infrastructure. 

And Maybe US tried to make a deal but Maduro was being unreasonable.

 

Just playing devil's advocate. 

Or maybe Trump is just being a bully. Could be. 

 

 

Piracy added to murder in the high seas.

1 hour ago, Wingate said:

Perhaps we'll seize all the oil of Saudi Arabia next, as the corrupt terrorist-funding Royal Family lets precious little of the wealth filter down to the average Bedouin.

 

Saudi pays foreign teachers very high wages to teach there.

Meaning they invest heavily into education of their population.

They have good schools and high literacy rates and invest in STEM. 

 

Maduro is a failed dictator gangster in comparison. 

That doesn't mean it justifies anything Trump is doing.. But Saudi seems like a normal functioning society in comparison. 

 

 

Its always been about the oil. 

Off topic trolling meme removed @JonnyF

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Yeah, but from what I've gathered it's not that simple.

 

Since there may be plans to set up factories in Latin America, then the resources may benefit the Latin Americans because they would be extracted for production and create factory jobs and stimulate the economy.

 

The US is providing the largest consumer market in the world in exchange for the resources.

 

So the resources would probably benefit the people more in the hands of the US than Maduro. 

 

 

Nothing more than a modern day word salad for colonial type conquest. 

American Pirates ....🏴‍☠️

54 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Piracy added to murder in the high seas.

Ridiculous comment. There have been sanctions on Venezuelan oil since Trump's 1st term and continued under Biden. The US has seized Iranian tankers in the past. Was this also piracy? As for murder what murder would that be. Taking out narco-terrorists? Once again your emotional hatred of Trump control you away from rational thought. 

Once again, suggesting that the naval ensign of the United States has been replaced by the "Jolly Roger".

2 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

 

Ok, they just seized an oil tanker, WTF are they going to do with it?

Park it in Chesapeake Bay?

Sell it to Russia ?..........

The United States: Pirate Nation

 

What else is new. Make Authoritarianism Great Again (MAGA)  If you want something that isn't yours?  Steal it by force of arms. 

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

 

Sorry, most of us don't have all the facts at hand, so we're stumbling in the dark.

There are probably many talks and negotiations that take place before these types of attacks. 

 

According to AI:

 

Venezuela possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves, far exceeding its domestic needs, but struggles to extract and sell it due to heavy, hard-to-process crude, deteriorated infrastructure, mismanagement, and U.S. sanctions, leading to low production despite immense potential.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So Venezueala is sitting on all this oil exceeding its domestic needs, but can't extract it due to deteriorated infrastructure. 

And Maybe US tried to make a deal but Maduro was being unreasonable.

 

Just playing devil's advocate. 

Or maybe Trump is just being a bully. Could be. 

 

 

Sounds like you have no idea at all what you are on about.

2 minutes ago, theshu25 said:

Sounds like you have no idea at all what you are on about.

 

Yeah, I admit I am making up theories.

Guilty as charged. 

 

6 minutes ago, theshu25 said:

Sounds like you have no idea at all what you are on about.

 

It's what this MAGA with an agenda has been doing in many threads.

Seize an oil tanker, pardon a convicted drug runner.....

 

Sounds like the brainfart of the concept of a plan.

11 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Yeah, but from what I've gathered it's not that simple.

 

Since there may be plans to set up factories in Latin America, then the resources may benefit the Latin Americans because they would be extracted for production and create factory jobs and stimulate the economy.

 

The US is providing the largest consumer market in the world in exchange for the resources.

 

So the resources would probably benefit the people more in the hands of the US than Maduro.

Ah, you mean by theft... Free always generates the most profit!

8 hours ago, JAG said:

Once again, suggesting that the naval ensign of the United States has been replaced by the "Jolly Roger".

It galls me that all these military officers are obeying commands which are so clearly illegal. It seems like they surrender brain and conscience when they sign up.

1 minute ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Ah, you mean by theft... Free always generates the most profit!

 

Is Venezuela sitting on oil reserves that it can't extract due to lack of resources and/or corruption?

 

How are you going to survive if no one gets the oil to you? 

 

 

U.S. Coast Guard members, with support from the Department of War, executing a precise seizure of the tanker, which was being used to move sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. "For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations," Bondi wrote in a statement on X.  

1 hour ago, Dan747 said:

U.S. Coast Guard members, with support from the Department of War, executing a precise seizure of the tanker, which was being used to move sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. "For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations," Bondi wrote in a statement on X.  

If the tanker was foreign owned and flagged at the time it was seized, not in US waters and to all intents and purposes going about its entirely legitimate business on the high season then boarding it and seizing it was an act of piracy - very simply.

The US 'Coast' Guard was not very close to America's coast! US knew the oil was headed for Iran exactly how? Despite Ukraine's strikes, Russia claims to be selling its oil to India so why not Iran. Besides, US sanctions for what? Venezuela did what to the high-and-mighty? If you're going to say coke, so all 19 countries in Central and South America should be sanctioned, right? Name one not in the cocaine chain.

 

If the US is claiming the Venezuelan govt is sponsoring the coke trade, we'll have to go back to Ollie North when the CIA was sponsoring the American crack trade to Black ghettos.

18 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Is Venezuela sitting on oil reserves that it can't extract due to lack of resources and/or corruption?

Nobody has ever made those assertions. Venezuela is doing just fine managing its own oil which, remarkably, is not America's.

 

America is more like The Godfather: "We make money the old-fashioned way. We steal it."