Why Trump says the US will keep Venezuela’s seized oil

The seizures surprised even people who follow this stuff. Trump said the US could sell the oil or drop it into the Strategic Reserves, and he made it clear the ships are now US property. That raised a bigger question: how far is he willing to go? The bigger twist came when Trump said the US will strike targets on land. He said he would hit back hard if anyone hits US forces. That adds new heat to a fight that already sparked deadly sea strikes where US forces killed about 100 people. The US still hasn’t shared proof those boats carried drugs. Venezuela pushed back fast. Maduro called the seizures “piracy”, his government asked the UN Security Council for emergency talks, and the US doubled the reward for info leading to Maduro’s capture. The US says Maduro funds drug crime with oil money, and it now treats his government as a foreign terrorist group. That label gives the US wide room to strike ships, block tankers and hunt anyone linked to the trade. The open question is what happens next. A third tanker is already being chased by the US Coast Guard, and both leaders sound ready to dig in. If this spills into a wider fight, it won’t just hit oil markets. It could force Europe and Latin America to pick sides in a showdown that refuses to cool off.