US forces have intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, according to reports.
The White House are yet to comment on the reported seizure of the unnamed vessel.
Two officials told the Reuters news agency that the operation was led by the US Coast Guard. They did not name the tanker nor say specifically where the incident took place.
It marks the latest escalation from the Trump administration, which has in recent weeks ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The US accuses Mr Maduro of presiding over a narcotrafficking operation, which he denies.
Throughout the year, the Pentagon has conducted more than 20 strikes against purported drug-trafficking vessels in waters near Venezuela and Colombia, killing more than 80 suspects.
It also comes as US President Donald Trump suggested numerous times that the US could strike Venezuela on land.
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Speaking to Politico on Tuesday, he declined to comment on whether US troops would enter the country, but said that Mr Maduro’s “days are numbered”.
According to US news outlet Bloomberg, the Maduro government describes US actions as a grab for Venezuela’s oil reserves – among the biggest in the world.
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