Reuters: US seizes ship off Venezuela's coast

The United States has seized a ship in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. This was reported by the agency Reuters citing three U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter.

The seizure of the vessel came just a few days after US President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela's ports.

This is the second time in recent weeks that the United States has seized a tanker near Venezuela, and it comes amid a significant increase in the US military presence in the region.

The sources did not say where the operation took place, but added that it was led by the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard and the Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• December 10, Trump reported said that his country had seized the largest tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
• On December 17, it was reported that the United States introduced a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela's ports.