U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker Near Venezuela Amid Rising Tensions
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces intercepted an oil tanker near Venezuela’s coast early Saturday morning, marking the second such action in recent weeks as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
This operation follows Trump’s announcement of a “blockade” targeting oil tankers connected with Venezuela, coming just after a December 10 incident where U.S. forces seized another tanker off the same coastline.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the U.S. Coast Guard, supported by the Defense Department, halted the tanker last docked in Venezuela. She shared a social media video depicting a U.S. helicopter deploying personnel onto the vessel identified as Centuries.
The Centuries, a crude oil tanker registered under Panama’s flag, was recently observed off Venezuela’s coast, according to MarineTraffic, which tracks global vessel movements. The tanker’s sanction status remains unclear.
Noem stated, “The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” adding, “We will find you, and we will stop you,” on X.
According to an anonymous U.S. official, the tanker voluntarily stopped and permitted U.S. forces to board, describing the action as a “consented boarding.”
This seizure’s rationale is murkier compared to the earlier capture of a tanker named Skipper, known for operating illicitly without a national flag. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly labeled the Centuries as another “falsely flagged vessel” in the Venezuelan shadow fleet, carrying sanctioned oil.
However, maritime historian Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano suggested the Centuries was properly registered, even if it carried sanctioned oil, calling the seizure “a big escalation” intended to deter other tankers.
Venezuela’s government condemned the U.S. action as “criminal” and vowed to pursue legal avenues, including complaints to the United Nations Security Council. They stated, “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically denounces and rejects the theft and hijacking of another private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as the enforced disappearance of its crew, perpetrated by United States military personnel in international waters.”
Following the Skipper’s seizure, Trump pledged a blockade against Venezuela, aligning with increased rhetoric against Maduro and demands for the return of assets seized from U.S. oil companies. Trump remarked, “We’re not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn’t be going through,” referencing the past nationalization of U.S. oil interests in Venezuela.
U.S. forces have also targeted ships allegedly involved in drug smuggling in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with 28 known strikes since September resulting in 104 fatalities. These actions have faced scrutiny for inadequate evidence and potential extrajudicial killings.
The administration justifies these strikes under the premise of “armed conflict” with drug cartels, while Maduro faces U.S. narcoterrorism charges. A significant military buildup in the region suggests potential land attacks, with Maduro accusing the U.S. of attempting to oust him.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles mentioned in a Vanity Fair interview that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
