Trump says US remains in pursuit of oil tanker and it’d be ‘smart’ for Maduro to step down
By Kevin Liptak, Donald Judd, CNN
West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Monday the US remains in active pursuit of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, more than 24 hours after the chase began, while repeating his threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
“It’s moving along and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump told CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg during remarks in Palm Beach.
He said the ship “came from the wrong location, it came out of Venezuela,” though the vessel — called Bella 1 — was in fact sailing toward Venezuela when the US Coast Guard attempted to interdict it.
The US has intercepted two other tankers off the coast of Venezuela this month. Those interdictions have come amid a massive US naval buildup in the Caribbean Sea as Trump applies pressure on Maduro, including attempts to cut off his oil revenues.
Trump on Monday declined to answer a question about his endgame in Venezuela, even as he again raised the threat of land strikes and said it’d be “smart” for Maduro to step down.
“There’s no answer. He can do whatever he wants. We have a massive armada — the biggest we’ve ever had, and the biggest we’ve ever had in South America,” Trump said. “He can do whatever he wants. It’s all right, whatever he wants to do. If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’d be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.”
Pressed on whether he’s trying to force Maduro from power, Trump added, “Well, I think it probably would. I can’t tell that,” adding: “That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for him to do that.”
Trump – who last week ordered a “complete” blockade of sanctioned tankers going in and out of Venezuela – noted the US will keep oil seized during the interdiction of oil tankers in the Caribbean, leaving the door open to adding it to the US’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“We’re going to keep it,” Trump said.
“Maybe we’ll use it in the Strategic Reserves – we’re keeping it. We’re keeping the ships also,” he added.
Trump also said he had spoken to American oil companies who have had their assets seized about what a post-Maduro Venezuela would look like.
American officials view the Bella 1 as part of the shadow fleet that transports oil from sanctioned nations, and a warrant had been issued for its seizure. Trump noted Monday that the vessel was sanctioned as he discussed the attempts to stop it.
On Saturday, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said it was carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil, though the ship itself did not appear on a list of sanctioned vessels.
The US seized a large oil tanker called the Skipper, which had been under sanctions for its ties to Iran, on December 10.
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