
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has linked the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela to the Trump administration’s counterdrug efforts. During testimony Thursday to the House Homeland Security Committee, Noem lauded the U.S. forces’ unusual move to take control of a merchant ship. Noem describes it as a successful move that’s part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to combat drug trafficking. The Republican president told reporters Wednesday the tanker was seized “for a very good reason.” Venezuela’s government has called the seizure an act of international piracy.
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