U.S. forces have seized a second oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude off the country’s coast, intensifying President Donald Trump’s naval “blockade” against sanctioned shipments.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the December 20 operation in international waters, mirroring an earlier raid this month. Venezuela condemned it as “theft and kidnapping”, stating “These acts will not go unpunished” and vowing complaints to the UN Security Council and “other multilateral agencies and the governments of the world.”
Coast Guard teams, backed by the Department of War, boarded the Panamanian-flagged Centuries. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted footage on X, writing “In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.”
She added, “The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” and “We will find you, and we will stop you.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed ongoing interdictions to dismantle criminal networks, declaring “Violence, drugs, and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere.”
The vessel links to oil allegedly funding Maduro’s denied Cartel de los Soles ties, following the Skipper seizure and strikes killing about 100 in the Caribbean. Venezuela relies on its vast oil reserves for revenue, with disruptions risking global price hikes.