US Seizes Second Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela as Trump Orders Maritime Blockade

US Seizes Second Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela as Trump Orders Maritime Blockade

The United States has seized another oil tanker departing Venezuela, marking the second vessel confiscation this month, amid escalating tensions following US President Donald Trump’s order for a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the South American nation.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that the operation was carried out by the US Coast Guard, which boarded the tanker in international waters using a specialised tactical team. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem shared footage of the pre-dawn operation on social media, showing helicopters landing on the deck of a vessel identified as Centuries.

“In a pre-dawn action on December 20, the US Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, apprehended an oil tanker last docked in Venezuela,” Noem said, adding that the United States would continue to stop the illicit movement of sanctioned oil allegedly used to fund narco-terrorism.

The Centuries, a Panamanian-flagged ship that previously sailed under Greek and Liberian flags, is not currently listed among US Treasury-sanctioned vessels, according to shipping records. US authorities, however, insist the seizure aligns with broader efforts to disrupt illegal oil trafficking networks in the region.

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Venezuela swiftly condemned the action, describing it as “theft and kidnapping”. In a statement, the Venezuelan government warned that the seizure would not go unanswered, announcing plans to file complaints with the United Nations Security Council and other multilateral bodies.

“These acts will not go unpunished,” the statement said, accusing Washington of attempting to steal Venezuela’s natural resources.

The latest seizure comes days after President Trump announced a maritime blockade targeting vessels involved in transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil. Last week, US authorities also seized another tanker, Skipper, allegedly part of a “ghost fleet” accused of concealing illicit oil shipments.

The US has intensified its military presence in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks and has carried out deadly strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats, actions that have drawn scrutiny from the US Congress over a lack of publicly released evidence.

Washington has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles, a group designated by the US as a terrorist organisation, allegations Maduro strongly denies. The Trump administration claims proceeds from illicit oil exports are used to finance drug trafficking, human trafficking, kidnapping and violence.

Following the latest seizure, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said America would continue maritime interdiction operations to dismantle criminal networks, insisting that “violence, drugs and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere.”

Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, relies heavily on oil export revenues to fund government spending, making the US crackdown a significant economic and political blow.

US Seizes Second Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela as Trump Orders Maritime Blockade

BBC