US forces stop oil tanker off Venezuela amid expanded pressure campaign

U.S. forces have stopped an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks, escalating Washington’s pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The operation follows President Donald Trump’s public pledge to block sanctioned oil shipments linked to Venezuela, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Caracas and raised questions within the shipping industry.

Interception off the Venezuelan coast

The U.S. operation took place before dawn on Saturday, according to U.S. officials, and involved the Coast Guard with support from the Defense Department. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the boarding and released unclassified video showing U.S. personnel descending from a helicopter onto a tanker identified as Centuries.

The vessel, a crude oil tanker flying the Panamanian flag, had recently docked in Venezuela and was later tracked near the country’s coastline, according to publicly available maritime data. U.S. authorities have not disclosed whether the tanker was formally designated under existing U.S. sanctions at the time of the stop.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the action was a “consented boarding,” with the tanker voluntarily stopping and allowing U.S. forces to board.

U.S. claims of illicit oil trade

In a post on social media, Noem said the United States would continue to pursue what she described as the illicit movement of sanctioned oil, arguing that such shipments fund criminal activity in the region. “We will find you, and we will stop you,” she wrote.

The White House echoed that position. Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said online that the Centuries was operating as part of what U.S. officials describe as a Venezuelan “shadow fleet,” alleging the tanker was falsely flagged and transporting sanctioned oil.

The administration has increasingly focused on maritime enforcement as part of its broader effort to isolate Maduro’s government, which remains under extensive U.S. sanctions targeting its oil sector and senior officials.

Disputed status of the vessel

Shipping experts have questioned whether the tanker fit the profile described by U.S. officials. Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian and shipping analyst at Campbell University, said industry databases indicated the Centuries appeared to be properly registered and operating within standard maritime norms.

“Everything indicates that she is a properly registered vessel,” Mercogliano said, while adding that it was highly likely the tanker had taken on oil subject to U.S. sanctions.

Even so, he described the boarding as a significant escalation compared with the earlier seizure this month of another tanker, the Skipper. That vessel was widely described by shipping experts as part of a loosely regulated network of tankers used to move sanctioned cargo and was not flying a national flag when it was stopped.

“This one is meant to scare other tankers away,” Mercogliano said.

Venezuela’s response

Venezuela’s government condemned the operation, calling it “criminal” and accusing U.S. forces of hijacking a private vessel in international waters. In a statement issued Saturday, Caracas said it would pursue legal avenues, including filing complaints with the United Nations Security Council.

“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically denounces and rejects the theft and hijacking of another private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as the enforced disappearance of its crew,” the statement said.

Venezuelan officials have repeatedly argued that U.S. sanctions and enforcement actions violate international law and are aimed at forcing Maduro from power.

Trump’s blockade pledge

The latest incident follows Trump’s announcement earlier this month that the United States would effectively impose a “blockade” on sanctioned oil tankers traveling to or from Venezuela. The president reiterated that stance after the Dec. 10 seizure of the Skipper, warning that vessels linked to sanctioned trade would be stopped.

Trump has also demanded that Venezuela return assets seized from U.S. oil companies during waves of nationalization under Hugo Chávez and later Maduro. Speaking to reporters this week, he framed the tanker actions as part of a broader effort to recover what he described as unlawfully taken U.S. energy investments.

“We’re not going to be letting anybody go through who shouldn’t be going through,” Trump said. “They took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil. And we want it back.”

U.S. oil companies once dominated Venezuela’s petroleum sector until nationalizations in the 1970s and again in the 2000s. Disputes over compensation have lingered for years, including a 2014 international arbitration ruling that ordered Venezuela to pay $1.6 billion to ExxonMobil.

Wider military posture in the region

The targeting of oil tankers comes alongside a broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has ordered increased operations against vessels it alleges are involved in drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl smuggling.

Since early September, at least 28 strikes on vessels in the region have been reported, resulting in more than 100 deaths, according to figures cited by U.S. officials and lawmakers. The strikes have drawn scrutiny from members of Congress and human rights groups, who argue the administration has provided limited evidence linking the targets to narcotics trafficking.

Historically, the Coast Guard, sometimes supported by the Navy, has interdicted suspected smuggling boats, seized illicit cargo, and arrested crews for prosecution. The administration now argues it is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, a legal rationale critics say remains contested.

Maduro, who faces U.S. federal charges of narcoterrorism, has rejected those accusations and said the true aim of the military operations is regime change. Trump has repeatedly warned that further actions, including potential land operations, could follow.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair this week that Trump intends to maintain pressure on Maduro, a remark that underscored the administration’s confrontational approach.

Uncertain implications for shipping

The latest boarding has already had a chilling effect on maritime traffic, according to shipping analysts, with some tankers reportedly diverting away from Venezuelan waters. Whether the U.S. actions will withstand legal challenges or provoke wider international pushback remains unclear.

For now, the stop of the Centuries signals a sharper U.S. enforcement posture at sea, one that blurs the line between sanctions enforcement and direct maritime interdiction — and raises the stakes in an already tense standoff between Washington and Caracas.