US Seizes Venezuelan Tanker, Sanctions Maduro Amid Escalating Tensions

• US forces seized the oil tanker 'Skipper' from Venezuela, alleging it carried black-market oil funding drug and terror networks.
• The seized tanker and its oil will be taken to a US port, escalating tensions between the two nations.
• The US imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan President Maduro, his relatives, and six other ships following the seizure.
• Venezuela condemned the seizure as "international maritime piracy," while Russia's Putin offered support to Maduro.
• Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado claimed the country is already under attack by foreign agents and cartels.

Why It Matters: US seizure of Venezuelan oil tanker dramatically escalates US-Venezuela conflict.