The Latest: US closes in on Venezuelan oil with tanker seizures and eased sanctions

In a move to assert control over Venezuelan oil, President Donald Trump ’s administration on Wednesday seized a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announced plans to “selectively” remove some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide.

The seizures of the tankers in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea reflect the Republican administration’s determination to enforce an existing oil embargo on Venezuela as Trump has pledged the U.S....