US seizes another vessel off Venezuela as Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas

Washington — In a significant escalation of enforcement efforts against Venezuela’s oil exports, U.S. forces boarded and seized a vessel off the Venezuelan coast this weekend, part of a broader campaign to pressure the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The action comes shortly after President Donald Trump ordered what he described as a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan waters, drawing sharp denunciations from Caracas and sparking debate in Washington over international law, economic impact, and regional stability.

According to U.S. officials, the operation was carried out in international waters by the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the military. The vessel taken into custody was a Panama‑flagged oil tanker reportedly loaded with Venezuelan crude and bound for Asia. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees the Coast Guard, said the interdiction occurred in a pre‑dawn operation that included aerial and naval support. She reiterated that the United States intends to curb the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that, in the administration’s view, helps fund criminal networks and undermines the rule of sanctions.

This interception marks the second such operation in less than two weeks. Earlier this month, U.S. forces seized another tanker, known as the Skipper, which had been under U.S. sanctions for its alleged involvement in transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran. In announcing that initial seizure, President Trump said it was necessary to enforce sanctions and pressure Maduro’s regime, which Washington has characterized as illegitimate and involved in narcoterrorism.

The recent action expands that campaign. Though Trump’s blockade order specifically targeted sanctioned tankers, U.S. officials confirmed that the vessel seized over the weekend was not itself on U.S. sanction lists. Instead, it was carrying Venezuelan oil — a core element of the Latin American nation’s export revenues — and was intercepted under the broader doctrine of the blockade. The ship’s crew did not reportedly resist, according to U.S. sources familiar with the operation.

Venezuela’s government condemned the seizure as an act of “theft and hijacking” that violated international law and fundamental principles of maritime freedom. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Caracas would pursue legal avenues, including complaints to the United Nations and other international bodies, to contest what it called “acts of piracy” by U.S. forces. Venezuelan officials argue that the United States has no legal authority to interdict commercial vessels in international waters and that such moves escalate an already tense standoff with Washington.

The broader context for these maritime actions is a sustained pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Maduro that goes beyond routine sanctions enforcement. In recent months, the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, including deploying warships and initiating more than two dozen strikes on vessels it alleges are involved in drug trafficking. U.S. officials assert that these operations are meant to disrupt networks that finance both narcotics trafficking and revenue flows for the Maduro government.

Critics, including some lawmakers and legal experts, have raised concerns about the legal basis for boarding and seizing vessels that are not clearly under sanction or that operate under the flags of other nations. Under international maritime law, warships may board stateless vessels or those suspected of certain illicit activities, but critics say the legal justification for broad enforcement actions tied to sanctions remains unclear and could set a troubling precedent.

Supporters of the administration’s approach argue that the moves reflect legitimate efforts to enforce economic measures aimed at a government accused of human rights abuses and corruption. They contend that curbing Venezuela’s oil exports — the country’s economic lifeblood — is a nonviolent means of undermining the Maduro government’s capacity to sustain itself and finance illicit networks.

The maritime enforcement actions have also caught the attention of global energy markets. Venezuelan crude exports had already fallen sharply in recent weeks amid the intensified U.S. campaign, and loaded tankers have lingered in port rather than risk interception. While global oil markets remain generally well‑supplied for the moment, continued disruptions could feed into higher prices or tighter regional supplies if the embargo remains in place.

International reaction has been mixed. Some regional leaders have urged restraint and called for diplomatic solutions to the standoff, warning that military escalation could produce a humanitarian crisis. Others have backed Washington’s tough stance, framing pressure on Maduro as consistent with democratic principles and regional security.

As the legal, diplomatic, and strategic debates unfold, the vessel seizure underscores how economic tools like sanctions enforcement are intersecting with direct military action. For now, both Washington and Caracas show little sign of backing down. The United States has signaled that additional interceptions could follow, while Venezuela has vowed to challenge the actions through international legal channels.