Trump Says US Will Keep Oil, Tankers Seized off Coast of Venezuela

‘Maybe we’ll sell it ... maybe we’ll use it in the strategic reserves,’ the president said.

President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 22, 2025. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

President Donald Trump on Dec. 22 said that the United States will keep or sell the oil from tankers it seized off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks.

Asked what he planned to do with the oil, Trump told reporters: “We’re going to keep it. We’re keeping it.”