Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro erupted in fury after U.S. forces seized a massive oil tanker off the country’s coast, calling the operation an act of “piracy” and urging citizens to prepare to “kick in the teeth” of the United States.

The dramatic raid, carried out by elite U.S. Coast Guard tactical teams, was captured on video as commandos rappelled from helicopters onto the deck of the tanker, identified as the Skipper. According to U.S. officials, the vessel was transporting 1.1 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian oil—worth an estimated $66 million—and was part of a global shadow fleet used to evade international monitoring.

President Donald Trump dismissed Maduro’s outrage and hinted at broader action to come. “It was seized for a very good reason,” he said. Asked about the oil itself, he shrugged: “We keep it, I guess.”

The seizure marks the most aggressive U.S. move yet in an increasingly confrontational campaign targeting Venezuela’s lifeline export. It is also the first operation explicitly aimed at interrupting Maduro’s oil flow rather than striking suspected drug-smuggling boats. In the past year, U.S. forces have launched more than 20 lethal maritime strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 87 people labeled by the administration as “narco-terrorists.”

The Skipper had departed Venezuela’s main port just days earlier, covertly flying the flag of Guyana—a forgery that the Guyanese government has vowed to punish. Analysts warn that after this unprecedented seizure, other shippers may refuse to handle Venezuelan crude, deepening the isolation of a regime already starved of revenue.

Maduro, sword in hand during a televised address, claimed the U.S. was attempting to strangle his government. “We must be like warriors,” he shouted. “Be prepared to give the North American empire a real beating.”

But Maduro’s bluster belies growing panic. U.S. naval power in the Caribbean has surged, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Trump has warned repeatedly that Maduro’s “days are numbered,” fueling speculation of a looming blockade or even land operations.

Inside Venezuela, the pressure is mounting. Maduro is reportedly moving constantly between safe houses to avoid potential assassination attempts. And at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony this week, international leaders openly urged him to resign, praising opposition figure María Corina Machado, who remains in hiding.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)