The recent seizure of an oil tanker known as Skipper by the U.S. off the coast of Venezuela marks a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign to choke off Venezuelan leader Nicolás Madu

The Trump administration plans to seize the oil aboard a tanker captured near Venezuela this week, the White House said Thursday, calling the ship a "sanctioned shadow" vessel associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The U.S. Coast Guard, with the help of the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, executed a seizure warrant Wednesday for a crude oil tanker that was allegedly used to transport oil from Venezuela and Iran in defiance of sanctions, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. A White House official confirmed it was carrying oil from PDVSA.

The U.S. seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast after a monthslong buildup of military forces in the region.