U.S. forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.
"We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela," Trump said during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. He provided no detail on who owned the tanker or its destination.
U.S. crude oil was up 70 cents, or 1.2%, to $58.95 per barrel at 3:12 p.m. ET. Global benchmark Brent rose 71 cents, or 1.15%, to $62.65 a barrel.
Trump has escalated pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent weeks. The president said Maduro's "days are numbered" in an interview with Politico published Tuesday. He would not rule out a ground invasion of the South American nation.
"I don't want to rule in or out. I don't talk about it," Trump told Politico.
The White House has undertaken a large military buildup in the Caribbean and launched controversial, deadly strikes against boats that it claims were trafficking drugs to the U.S.
Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. It is exporting about 749,000 barrels per day this year with at least half that oil going to China, according to data from energy consulting firm Kpler.
Venezuela exports about 132,000 bpd to the U.S., according to Kpler.
"Shippers will likely be much more cautious and hesitant about loading Venezuelan crude going forward," said Matt Smith, an oil analyst at Kpler.