U.S. Coast Guard pursuing another oil tanker near Venezuela, source says, as Trump administration continues pressure campaign against Maduro
The U.S. Coast Guard was engaged in a high-stakes pursuit of another sanctioned oil tanker in international waters on Sunday, U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News, signaling a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s aggressive pressure campaign against the Venezuelan government. If successfully intercepted and seized, this would mark the third such Venezuelan tanker taken by U.S. forces within a single month, underscoring a determined effort to choke off the financial lifelines of President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing operations, described Sunday’s target as "a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion." The official further elaborated that the vessel was "flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order," tactics commonly employed by entities seeking to obscure their true identity, cargo, and destination to circumvent international sanctions. The precise location of the operation and the name of the vessel were not disclosed, echoing the discretion surrounding previous interdictions.
This latest pursuit follows closely on the heels of a pre-dawn operation on Saturday, during which the U.S. Coast Guard successfully seized the Panama-flagged vessel named Centuries. According to a U.S. official, the interdiction of the Centuries followed a "similar playbook" to an earlier U.S. seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela, suggesting a refined and repeatable strategy for targeting these illicit shipments. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly publicly commented on the Saturday seizure via social media, asserting that the Centuries was "a falsely flagged vessel operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet to traffic stolen oil and fund the narcoterrorist Maduro regime." This strong condemnation from the White House highlights the administration’s narrative that these maritime operations are crucial in combating what it views as a criminal enterprise.
The Venezuelan government, under President Nicolas Maduro, has vehemently condemned these actions, labeling them "a serious act of piracy." In an official statement released Saturday, Caracas asserted, "The colonialist model that the U.S. government seeks to impose through such practices will fail and be defeated by the Venezuelan people." The statement further warned that "these acts will not go unpunished," and that Venezuela "will exercise all corresponding actions, including the complaint to the United Nations Security Council, other multilateral agencies and the governments of the world." This firm stance sets the stage for a potential diplomatic showdown on the international stage, with Venezuela likely to challenge the legality of the U.S. actions under international maritime law.
These intensified maritime interdictions are a direct response to President Trump’s recent call for a "total and complete blockade" on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or departing Venezuela. This declaration signals a significant tightening of the economic noose around the Maduro regime, which the Trump administration does not recognize as legitimate. Earlier in the month, sources had informed CBS News that the U.S. military had already seized a sanctioned 20-year-old oil tanker shortly after it had departed a Venezuelan port, demonstrating a consistent and escalating pattern of enforcement.
The legal basis for such seizures in international waters, particularly involving "false flags" and "judicial seizure orders," introduces complex questions regarding sovereignty and international maritime law. While the U.S. cites judicial orders and the vessels’ engagement in sanctions evasion, Venezuela and its allies may argue that these actions constitute unlawful interference with freedom of navigation and acts of state-sponsored piracy. The concept of a "dark fleet" refers to vessels that disable their transponders or use false identities to avoid detection, complicating maritime security and enforcement efforts. The U.S. position is that such vessels, by engaging in illicit activities and evading legitimate sanctions, forfeit certain protections, especially when linked to regimes accused of drug trafficking and human rights abuses.
Kevin Hasset, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, addressed the economic implications of these seizures on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Sunday. He clarified that the first two oil tankers seized were operating on the black market, supplying oil to countries already under sanctions. Hasset reassured the American public, stating, "I don’t think that people need to be worried here in the U.S. that the prices are going to go up because of these seizures of these ships. There’s just a couple of them, and they were black market ships." This suggests the administration views these operations as targeted strikes against illicit trade rather than broad disruptions to global oil markets, aiming to minimize any domestic economic fallout.
The targeting of these oil tankers is also interwoven with a broader U.S. strategy against illegal activities in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. President Trump has ordered the Defense Department to conduct a series of attacks on vessels suspected of smuggling fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the U.S. This expansive anti-drug trafficking campaign has been robust, with at least 104 people killed across 28 known strikes since early September. The U.S. administration frequently links the Maduro regime to drug trafficking organizations, using the term "narcoterrorist" to emphasize the alleged criminal nature of its operations and justify the aggressive stance. This dual-pronged approach—targeting both illicit oil trade and drug smuggling—underscores a comprehensive effort to destabilize and isolate the Venezuelan government.
The ongoing pressure campaign has far-reaching geopolitical implications. While the U.S. seeks to compel Maduro’s departure and facilitate a democratic transition, Venezuela enjoys support from countries like Russia, China, and Cuba, which could complicate any further escalation. These nations might view the U.S. actions as a dangerous precedent for unilateral enforcement of sanctions, potentially leading to increased tensions in the region and beyond. The international community remains divided, with some nations echoing U.S. concerns about Maduro’s legitimacy and human rights record, while others express apprehension over interventions that could exacerbate regional instability or violate international law.
The effectiveness of this intensified maritime strategy remains to be seen. While direct interdictions undoubtedly disrupt Venezuela’s ability to generate revenue from oil, they also risk escalating the confrontation, potentially inviting retaliatory measures or further entrenching the Maduro regime through nationalistic appeals. The U.S. continues to signal its unwavering commitment to its strategy, emphasizing that these actions are necessary to uphold international law, combat illicit financing, and promote democracy. However, the path forward is fraught with challenges, as the long-standing crisis in Venezuela continues to test the boundaries of diplomatic pressure and military enforcement.
