Can the US legally seize a Venezuelan tanker?

United States President Donald Trump announced the seizure of a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, escalating tensions with Caracas. The vessel, identified as the crude carrier Skipper, was sanctioned in 2022 for allegedly supporting Hezbollah and Iran’s Quds Force. US forces boarded the tanker in the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuelan waters, and confiscated it for transporting sanctioned oil. While the legality of the seizure remains unclear, the Trump administration justified the action by citing the vessel’s involvement in illicit activities.

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