China’s refiners, all but cut off from Venezuelan crude in the past week as the US positions itself for access to the world’s largest oil reserves, are eying a pricier alternative source — Canada.

By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Marianna Parraga WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.

"This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America," Trump said.

It’s not going to cost us anything," Rubio said of the Trump Administration's plans to transform Venezuela and sell its oil

The U.S. seized an empty Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.

U.S. sanctions helped cause the near-total collapse of Venezuelan oil production — damage that President Trump is now using as justification for his military strike against the country.

Rodríguez's outreach during the first Trump administration made her a prominent face in U.S. business and political circles and paved the way for her own rise.

Democrats say the president cannot take money from the proceeds of seized oil and control it himself, calling it a ‘slush fund’ that would fly in the face of the Constitution.