Trump: The United States is unloading the oil from the detained tanker "Seaman"
U.S. President Donald Trump said that the oil on the "Seaman" tanker, which was seized by U.S. forces, has begun to be unloaded.
Trump said in an interview with Fox News, "The oil is being unloaded."
He also said that the decision to seize the tanker was not difficult for him.
However, Trump said he would not answer questions about whether he had contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin after the seizure of the tanker.
He said, "I don't want to talk about it."
On January 7, the U.S. European Command announced that the U.S. had seized the "Seaman" tanker in the North Atlantic. The U.S. claimed that the ship violated sanctions against Venezuela's oil.
It is reported that the tanker was originally named "Bella 1", flew the flag of Guyana for commercial navigation, but did not follow the requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard vessels to head to a U.S. port near Venezuela, instead turning back towards the Atlantic. Subsequently, on December 24, 2025, the ship was renamed "Seaman" and was granted temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag. The Russian Ministry of Transport stated that this permit was issued according to Russian law and international law.
The Russian Ministry of Transport emphasized that the U.S. military personnel boarding the "Seaman" occurred in international waters, beyond the territorial waters of any country, which violates the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that, given reports that there are Russian citizens among the crew of the "Seaman" tanker, it requested the U.S. to treat them properly, respect their rights and interests, and not hinder their prompt return to their homeland.
The U.S. captured the President of Venezuela
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853814622136324/
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