U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker in Escalation of Pressure on Venezuela

By Ginika Igboke

In a significant escalation of its campaign against the Venezuelan government, the United States has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. President Donald Trump announced the action on December 10, framing it as part of a broader effort to combat drug trafficking.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” President Trump stated at the White House. He added that “other things are happening” in the region and promised to discuss the situation further soon. When questioned by reporters, Trump said the vessel “was seized for a very good reason” and that details regarding its ownership would be provided later.

This seizure marks a new phase in the administration’s sustained pressure campaign against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. The move follows months of U.S. military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, supported by the largest U.S. military presence in the region in decades.

The Venezuelan government responded swiftly, condemning the seizure as “blatant theft.” In a statement, it vowed to “defend its sovereignty, natural resources, and national dignity with absolute determination” and pledged to challenge the action before international bodies.

The tanker seizure coincides with increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Washington regarding potential land-based operations. Earlier this month, President Trump indicated that land attacks would be carried out in Venezuela, though he provided no specific details on timing or location. On November 29, he issued a warning on Truth Social that airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety,” which led to multiple flight cancellations.

“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land, too,” Trump told reporters when asked about the possibility. “We know the routes they take. We know everything about them… And we’re going to start that very soon, too.”

President Maduro has repeatedly accused the U.S. of seeking to overthrow his government to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the country’s main source of revenue. In response to the heightened U.S. military presence, Maduro recently stated, “Peace. Yes. War. No. Never, never war.”

The administration’s actions align with a released national security strategy aiming to “restore American pre-eminence” in the Western Hemisphere. The strategy seeks to promote regional stability to discourage mass migration and insists that hemispheric governments cooperate with the U.S. against cartels and transnational criminal organizations. This approach echoes a modern enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine, which historically established a U.S. sphere of influence in the Americas.

As part of this strategy, the U.S. has designated several groups—including Salvadoran and Venezuelan gangs, Mexican drug cartels, and Haitian gangs—as foreign terrorist organizations. In mid-November, the State Department specifically labeled Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization, directly accusing Maduro of effectively running it.