(CNN) — The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said, escalating US pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.

“As you probably know we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the tanker has been sanctioned by the US for multiple years “due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” including Venezuela and Iran.

Bondi posted a video on X showing armed personnel rappelling on to the ship from a helicopter, then moving on deck with guns drawn. She said the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the US Coast Guard, conducted the seizure “with sup

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