Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have intensified dramatically following a second high-seas interception of an oil tanker by US forces near Venezuelan waters. The incident, occurring on December 20th, represents the latest escalation in Washington’s campaign against what it describes as Venezuela’s “illegal sanctions evasion” operations.
According to multiple reports from international media outlets including Reuters, US Coast Guard vessels pursued and apprehended a sanctioned “dark fleet” oil tanker in international waters. The operation was confirmed by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem via social media platform X, who characterized the action as part of ongoing efforts to combat “illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco-terrorism in the region.”
The Venezuelan government responded with fierce condemnation through an official statement delivered by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on Telegram. The administration of Nicolás Maduro denounced the seizure as “theft and hijacking” and accused US forces of the “forced disappearance” of the vessel’s crew. Venezuelan officials labeled the operation an act of piracy that violates multiple international conventions, including the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation.
This latest confrontation follows an earlier interception on December 10th, when US forces seized the large crude carrier Skipper in international waters off the Venezuelan coast. The operations coincide with President Donald Trump’s announcement on December 16th of a comprehensive blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. Trump declared that the US would not permit a “hostile regime” to retain control of what he characterized as US assets.
The Venezuelan statement further asserted that the “colonialist model” attempted by the US government would be defeated by the Venezuelan people, emphasizing the country’s commitment to economic growth through its hydrocarbon industry. Venezuelan officials pledged to pursue complaints through the United Nations Security Council and other multilateral organizations.
The US maintains that its military presence in the Southern Caribbean constitutes part of its broader counter-narcotics operations. Statistics indicate at least 104 fatalities resulting from 28 strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. The campaign has received support from Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has authorized US military access to the nation’s airports and installation of radar systems in Tobago.