An oil tanker seized by American forces off the Venezuelan coast will be brought to a port in the United States, the White House said Thursday, as fears mount of open conflict between the two countries.

The US imposed sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, among others, on Thursday as President Donald Trump looks to inflict further pressure on the South American nation.

The White House plans to move the tanker to a US port and seize the oil on board, a move Caracas has labelled as an act of “international piracy”. 

​The White House plans to move the tanker to a US port and seize the oil on board, a move Caracas has labelled as an act of “international piracy”.