On cam: Venezuela blasts Washington over oil tanker seizure, warns of war; 'US will not intimidate…'

Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused the United States of attempting to provoke armed conflict across Latin America and the Caribbean to seize natural resources, following the detention of a Venezuelan oil tanker by US forces. Calling the move an “act of piracy,” Padrino warned Washington against underestimating Venezuela’s capacity to defend its airspace and sovereignty. Caracas has filed a formal complaint with the International Maritime Organisation, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez invoking international conventions on freedom of navigation. The incident marks a sharp escalation in US-Venezuela tensions amid growing military activity in the Caribbean region.