The United States has confiscated a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, as President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday, in a move that has driven oil prices higher and heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas. Trump's administration is pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to resign.

The Venezuelan government responded to the seizure by accusing the U.S. of 'blatant theft' and labeling the act as 'international piracy', promising to defend its sovereignty and resources. The incident marks the first known action against an oil tanker since a military build-up was ordered by Trump in the region.

The confiscation impacted oil markets, with Brent crude futures rising following news of the tanker's seizure. The U.S. Attorney General disclosed that U.S. forces, with

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