The Trump administration’s recent seizure and detention of Venezuelan‑linked oil tankers and a naval “blockade” around sanctioned vessels have raised questions among legal experts and foreign governments about how far U.S. actions stretch established international maritime rules and customs.

Venezuela’s break with the United States stemmed less from foreign interference than from the gradual collapse of democratic institutions, economic mismanagement fueled by oil dependence, and the rise of authoritarian populism.

The Venezuelan government insists the alleged agents were part of a scheme to ignite a “full-scale military confrontation”

President Trump’s deployment of a carrier strike group to the South American coast marks a major escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions and raises fears of potential airstrikes.