The United States has imposed sanctions on six vessels accused of smuggling Venezuelan oil and seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, escalating friction with the South American nation.

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt described the seized ship, The Skipper, as an "illegal fuel tanker" transporting oil to a US port. In addition to targeting the vessels, the US sanctioned relatives and business associates of President Nicolas Maduro, citing the government as "illegitimate."

The moves follow a series of US operations aimed at vessels alleged to be involved in drug smuggling, accompanied by the deployment of a large US warship to the Caribbean. Washington holds Venezuela responsible for the drugs entering the United States, while also accusing Caracas of seeking to exploit its oil resources.

Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves, making the country a strategic and contentious focal point in the ongoing geopolitical tensions with Washington.