Venezuela-US tensions spike in wake of seized tanker as Nobel winner vows change

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Friday promised political change after slipping out of the country in secret to collect the Nobel Peace Prize, as the shock waves intensified from the Trump administration's seizure of an oil tanker earlier this week.



That escalation came on the heels of a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump campaigns to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pushing relations to their most volatile point in years.



The effects could ripple through the region, with Venezuelan oil exports falling sharply and crisis-stricken Cuba, already straining to power its grid, at risk of losing supply.



The U.S. seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela's coast on Wednesday marked the first U.S. capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019.



The vessel is now heading to Houston, where it will offload its cargo onto smaller ships, Reuters reported.