US Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela Coast, Escalating Tensions with Maduro Regime
The United States has taken a significant step in escalating pressure on the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro, seizing a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move described as “very unusual” and potentially provocative. President Donald Trump announced the seizure Wednesday, stating, “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” adding that the action was taken “for a very good reason.”
The seizure, conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the Navy, marks the Trump administration’s latest assertive action against Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the United States. This action follows a build-up of the largest U.S. military presence in the region in decades and a series of strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, a campaign that is now facing increased scrutiny from Congress.
According to a U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity, the operation was carried out under U.S. law enforcement authority. Coast Guard members were transported to the tanker by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which arrived in the Caribbean Sea last month as a demonstration of force. Video circulating on social media, posted by Attorney General Pam Bondi, shows Coast Guard personnel fast-roping onto the vessel, weapons drawn. Bondi stated the tanker had been sanctioned for years due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
The Venezuelan government vehemently condemned the seizure, labeling it “a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.” In a statement, the government asserted that the action reveals the true motive behind ongoing aggression: “It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people.”
The seized tanker has been identified as the Skipper, previously known as the M/T Adisa. Ship tracking data reveals the Skipper departed Venezuela around December 2nd carrying approximately 2 million barrels of heavy crude oil, with roughly half of the cargo belonging to a Cuban state-run oil importer, according to documents from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). The Adisa was previously sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 for its alleged role in a network smuggling crude oil on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, reportedly managed by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader.
Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves, producing around 1 million barrels per day, with PDVSA serving as the cornerstone of the nation’s economy. Sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in 2020, aimed at isolating Maduro’s government, have forced PDVSA to rely increasingly on intermediaries, often involving shell companies and “ghost tankers” to circumvent restrictions.
During a rally in Caracas, Maduro stated that Venezuela is “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary,” while maintaining that the U.S. military operations are intended to force him from power.
The seizure has sparked debate in Washington. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, questioned the administration’s stated rationale for the military buildup, arguing, “This shows that their whole cover story — that this is about interdicting drugs — is a big lie. This is just one more piece of evidence that this is really about regime change — by force.” Naval historian Vincent P. O’Hara described the seizure as “very unusual” and “provocative,” suggesting it could significantly disrupt maritime traffic and, consequently, Venezuela’s economy.
The action follows a recent display of U.S. military power, with fighter jets flying over the Gulf of Venezuela, reportedly coming closer to Venezuelan airspace than previously seen. Trump has hinted at potential land attacks, though details remain scarce. The administration is also facing mounting pressure from lawmakers regarding the ongoing campaign of strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats, which have resulted in at least 87 deaths since early September, including casualties among survivors of initial strikes. Lawmakers are demanding access to unedited video footage of these operations, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has yet to commit to its release.
The Coast Guard has deferred comment on the tanker seizure to the White House. Goodman reported from Miami, and Garcia Cano from Caracas, Venezuela. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
