Aargh Matey

As of today, December 10, 2025, the United States has entered into the business of piracy. 
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President Trump has told the world we  “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that "it was seized for a very good reason.”
  
Trump did not offer additional details. When asked what would happen to the oil aboard the tanker, Trump said, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”

One must ask…why did this event take place?

US Attorney General Pam Bondi offered “for multiple years, the oil tanker (the Skipper)  has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”

Am I missing something here?  The US military under the command of either the President or the Secretary of War, blows alleged drug running boats out of the water, killing over 80 people, because, as the President claims, the narco-terrorists are poisoning our citizens and we are now at war with them.  Yet, the US Coast Guard boards and seizes an oil tanker. 
 
The question that needs to be asked and answered is, “If the Coast Guard can board and seize a sea going tanker, why can’t the Coast Guard interdict, stop the “drug boats” and prohibit their distribution of drugs?
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Piracy has been regarded as a crime on the open seas and is often a reason for war.  Think President Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates…think Somalia pirates…

The government of Venezuela has called this action blatant piracy on the open seas.  And in doing so, has stated the actions of the United States destroying “drug boats” is just a smoke screen for the real intended policy of acquiring Venezuelan oil and using force to remove Venezuelan President Maduro from office.

And there appears to be support coming from American lawmakers to the Venezuelan claim.  Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. seizing the oil tanker cast doubt on the administration’s stated reasons for the military buildup and boat strikes.

“This shows that their whole cover story — that this is about interdicting drugs — is a big lie,” the senator said. “This is just one more piece of evidence that this is really about regime change — by force.”

The irony of this event and the strikes on the “drug boats” is the President of the United States has cast himself as the Peace President.  It is well known he campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, which he did not receive.
  
However, President Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.  The FIFA Peace Prize is a new, annual award, established in late 2025 by soccer’s governing body, to honor individuals who have made "exceptional actions for peace and unity," uniting people globally.  Some believe this award was used to placate the President, because of upcoming World Cup matches to be held in various cities in the United States.

And, to add to the initial irony of the moment, let us not forget, the Senior Little League team from Venezuela was not granted visas so the team could come to the United States and participate in the Senior Little League World Series.  Venezuela was on a list of countries with U.S. travel restrictions, linked to national security concerns under the Trump administration's policies.

The bottom line is self-revealing.  President Trump is committing the United States to armed conflict with Venezuela, WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.  It appears this is being done to remove Maduro from office in Venezuela.
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Admittedly, the President may send troops to where ever by invoking the National Emergency Act of 1976, but must be specific in regards to why this needs to happen.  The main reason given by President Trump on January 20, 2025 was to strengthen the southern border.  Which, because of a broken immigration policy and system, needed to be done.  As of this moment, the immigration policy and system hasn’t received any serious overhaul from Congress, which is an enumerated duty of Congress in the Constitution.

I am of the opinion the President’s Executive Order did not include what is taking place in the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific, and with Venezuela, yet it is happening, either lawfully or not.

And, with all of what our nation has recently witnessed, does this behavior of the President qualify as “exceptional actions for peace and unity?"
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I know what I believe…