“He Needs to be Gone” Noem Says of Maduro as U.S. Escalates Venezuelan Tanker Interdictions

Homeland Security chief vows continued maritime enforcement as Coast Guard pursues additional oil tankers tied to Caracas

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

The United States has entered what senior officials are openly framing as a decisive phase of pressure against Venezuela’s government, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declaring that President Nicolás Maduro “needs to be gone” as U.S. forces intensify efforts to intercept oil tankers linked to Caracas.

In a statement delivered Monday, Noem said the United States is not only interdicting vessels but deliberately signaling that Venezuela’s leadership will no longer be tolerated. Her remarks, first reported by Bloomberg, framed the maritime actions as both enforcement and deterrence.

“We’re not just interdicting these ships,” Noem said, adding that the operations are meant to send a message “around the world” that the “illegal activity that Maduro is participating in cannot stand” and that “he needs to be gone.”

Noem emphasized that the Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, is playing a central role in the effort. While recent drone strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats have been conducted by the Pentagon, the Coast Guard has been tasked with stopping and inspecting tankers suspected of transporting Venezuelan oil in violation of U.S. restrictions.

According to officials cited by Bloomberg in a separate report archived here, U.S. forces are actively pursuing the tanker Bella 1, which was en route to Venezuela to load crude oil. Initial reports suggested the ship had been boarded, but U.S. officials later told The New York Times that the vessel refused inspection and fled northeast into the Atlantic Ocean.

Whether the Bella 1 ultimately escapes remains uncertain, as detailed in a follow-up New York Times report. U.S. officials described the encounter as an “active pursuit,” with the tanker broadcasting repeated distress signals as it moved more than 300 miles away from Antigua and Barbuda.

Radio traffic reviewed by The New York Times and messages posted by a maritime blogger showed the Bella 1 issuing more than 75 alerts. The messages were shared via maritime monitoring networks and first circulated online by an account on X, with additional context drawn from radio messages intercepted during the chase.

The White House said President Donald Trump would make an announcement later Monday alongside his defense and navy secretaries, though officials did not specify whether the remarks would address the pursuit.

The Bella 1 incident follows other recent actions. Over the weekend, the Coast Guard stopped and boarded the tanker Centuries, which had recently loaded Venezuelan oil reportedly destined for a Chinese trader. According to the New York Times, U.S. authorities did not have a seizure warrant for the Panamanian-flagged vessel and said the inspection was conducted to verify its registration. It was not immediately clear how long the ship would be detained.

Earlier this month, on Dec. 10, U.S. authorities seized another tanker, the Skipper, which was transporting Venezuelan crude after previously carrying Iranian oil. That vessel has since been escorted to Galveston, Texas.

The stepped-up interdictions come amid heightened tensions, with analysts warning that China and Russia could respond with sharp diplomatic condemnations as Washington tightens enforcement.

At the same time, U.S. strikes on alleged trafficking boats in the region have intensified. Since early September, those operations have resulted in the deaths of roughly 100 people, according to officials. The actions have drawn criticism in some quarters as extrajudicial killings, though Congress has taken no action to limit the administration’s authority.

Recent House efforts to reclaim war powers—measures that would have required President Trump to seek congressional approval for further military action—were voted down earlier this month. The defeats were largely bipartisan, effectively clearing the way for continued executive-led operations.

With tanker interceptions accelerating and rhetoric sharpening, U.S. officials are making clear that maritime enforcement is now a central pillar of Washington’s broader strategy toward Venezuela, signaling a sustained and escalating campaign against the Maduro government.