Trump Confirms the U.S. Seized a Tanker Off Venezuela, Says We’ll ‘Keep’ the Oil

President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that the U.S. had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela during a Q&A with reporters in the White House.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela — a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually,” Trump said while taking questions in the Roosevelt Room.

“It was seized for a very good reason,” Trump added, but refused to offer any additional information, directing reporters to the military.

Later during the Q&A, another reporter asked, “We’re interested in the seizure of this tanker. What happens to the oil on that ship?”

“Well, we keep it, I guess,” Trump replied.

“Where does it go? What port does it go to?” pressed the reporter.

“Well, you have to follow the tanker. You know, you’re a good newsman. Just follow the tanker,” Trump hit back.

“You know, I was following–” added the reporter as Trump interjected, “Follow it. Get a helicopter and follow the tanker.”

Bloomberg News first reported on the seizure of the tanker, calling the move “a serious escalation” amid Trump’s saber-rattling to remove Nicolas Maduro from power.

Bloomberg added that “seizure may make it much harder for Venezuela to export its oil, as other shippers are now likely to be more reluctant to load its cargoes. Most Venezuelan oil goes to China, usually through intermediaries, at steep discounts owing to sanctions risk.”

The move comes as Trump and his administration continue to bomb alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea, which have so far killed over 80 people and created a growing scandal around the killing of survivors, which critics denounce as a war crime. In recent days, Trump has raised the prospect of land strikes and even troops on the ground as part of his campaign to end “narco terrorism” in the region.