Trump: US to Keep Oil and Vessels Seized off Venezuela Coast

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said the US would keep the oil commodities and ships seized off the coast of Venezuela.

"We will keep it... Maybe we will sell it, maybe we will keep it. Maybe we will use it in strategic reserves. We will also keep the ships," he told reporters in Florida state, reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, December 23.

Previously on Tuesday (16/12), Trump declared a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

US forces on Sunday (21/12) chased another oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday (21/12) amid rising tensions in the Caribbean.

If seized, the vessel would be the third tanker seized in the region since December 10.

Trump said the amount of drugs entering the US by sea had been reduced by 96.2 percent.

"And soon, we're going to start the same program on land. Land is much easier... We save 25,000 lives every time we disable a boat. And more than 96 percent have been stopped by sea," Trump said.

"To be honest, we are trying to find out who the other 4 percent are, and we will achieve the same success, even faster, because it is easier on land," he said.

"If they want to come by land, they will face a big problem. They will be torn to pieces, because we don't want our people to be poisoned," he added.

The US president said Venezuela had done "terrible things" to the US.

"They're sending their criminals, they're sending their prisoners, they're sending their drug dealers," he said.

Trump insisted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro should take his threats seriously because the US had assembled the largest fleet ever.

The US leader said Maduro was free to act, whatever, but if he was tough, it would be the last time the Venezuelan leader did it.

Turning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Trump warned him, saying:

"He has to be careful because he has a drug factory," Trump said.

"He is not a friend of the United States... and he has to be on the alert because he produces cocaine, and they send it to the United States from Colombia," he continued.