For the second time in two weeks, US forces have intercepted an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, escalating President Donald Trump’s campaign against the government of Nicolás Maduro. The early morning operation on Saturday followed Trump’s recent announcement of a comprehensive “blockade” targeting all sanctioned oil vessels entering or leaving the South American nation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the US Coast Guard, with Defense Department support, halted the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker Centuries. Through social media, Noem shared declassified footage showing US helicopter personnel boarding the vessel, which according to MarineTraffic data had been operating near Venezuelan waters. The sanction status of the intercepted ship remains unclear.
Noem declared on platform X: “The United States will continue intercepting the illegal movement of sanctioned oil funding narco-terrorism in the region. We will locate and stop you.” An anonymous US official characterized the operation as a “consensual boarding,” indicating the vessel voluntarily stopped and permitted US forces to come aboard.
The Venezuelan government condemned the actions as “criminal” and pledged legal recourse through the UN Security Council. Caracas issued a statement accusing the US of “theft and hijacking of a private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, and the forced disappearance of its crew.”
This latest seizure follows the December 10th interception of the tanker Skipper and coincides with Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric toward Maduro, whom he claims will soon be removed from power. Trump justifies the blockade by demanding Venezuela return assets previously seized from American oil companies, stating: “They illegally took all our energy rights and oil. We want it back.”
The tanker targeting forms part of a broader military campaign against drug smuggling in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Since September, US forces have conducted at least 28 strikes on suspected smuggling vessels, resulting in 104 fatalities. These operations face criticism from US legislators and human rights advocates who cite lack of evidence and allegations of extrajudicial killings.
As the US significantly reinforces its military presence in the region—the largest buildup in generations—Trump has repeatedly hinted at impending ground operations. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently stated Trump would “continue blowing up boats until Maduro surrenders,” while Maduro characterizes US military actions as attempted regime change.
The historical context reveals deeper tensions: American oil companies once dominated Venezuela’s oil sector until nationalization began in the 1970s and expanded under Hugo Chávez and Maduro. In 2014, an arbitration panel ordered Venezuela to pay $1.6 billion in compensation to ExxonMobil.