Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro slammed the U.S. on Thursday, calling them "Pirates of the Caribbean" after the seizure of an oil ship off the coast of Venezuela.

The seizure marked a dramatic escalation in President Donald Trump's campaign to pressure strongman Nicolás Maduro by cutting off access to oil revenues

"They kidnapped the crew, stole the ship and have ushered in a new era. The era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean", Maduro said on state television.

Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States.

The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.

Maduro also mentioned he had a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin who, Maduro said, expressed solidarity and admiration towards Venezuelan government.

The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that it was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.