U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Two Oil Tankers Off Venezuela

The U.S. Coast Guard seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, escalating tensions in the Caribbean region. According to ABC News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the maritime action on December 20, stating that the tanker had last docked in Venezuela.

The U.S. will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil, which Secretary Noem claimed funds narco-terrorism in the area. This operation followed President Trump's recent announcement of a blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

CBS News reported that this seizure was not an isolated incident but part of a broader enforcement campaign against Venezuelan oil operations. The Venezuelan government condemned the U.S. actions as theft and pledged to take international legal action.

They asserted that the seized vessel was a private ship and labeled the U.S. blockade a violation of international law. This latest seizure marks a significant increase in U.S. military presence and operations in Latin America, as noted by NBC News, amid ongoing confrontations between the U.S. and the regime of Nicolas Maduro, who has been accused by Trump of stealing oil from American companies.

The tanker seized, identified as the Centuries, had reportedly loaded its cargo in Venezuela and was headed to Asia, according to information from The New York Times. Interestingly, while the earlier tanker seized was on sanctions lists, the Centuries was not, raising questions about the evolving enforcement strategies of the U.S. government in its campaign against Venezuela's oil exports.