The United States has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in a move that sharply escalates tensions with President Nicolás Maduro’s government and jolts global oil markets. President Donald Trump confirmed the operation on December 10, describing the vessel as a “very large” tanker and hinting that “other things” were also happening in the area.
US officials say the supertanker was carrying sanctioned crude linked to Venezuela and Iran as part of an illicit shipping network that allegedly supports foreign terrorist organisations. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that a US seizure warrant was executed by the FBI, Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and supporting military units.
Video released by US authorities shows helicopters approaching the vessel and armed personnel in camouflage fast roping onto its deck to take control. The ship, previously sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2022 when it operated under another name, had been accused of repeatedly masking its location and moving banned oil cargoes.
Washington has not publicly named the tanker, but maritime risk firm Vanguard reported that a very large crude carrier believed to be the sanctioned ship was intercepted after recently loading at a Venezuelan terminal. Reuters later reported that more than 30 other US sanctioned tankers operating in or around Venezuela could now face similar action.
The seizure is the first known confiscation of an oil cargo from Venezuela since Trump ordered a major US military build up in Caribbean waters earlier this year. Analysts see it as a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign aimed at forcing Maduro to step down and curbing what the US calls illegal oil and drug networks tied to his government.
Venezuela’s government condemned the move as “blatant theft” and “an act of international piracy publicly announced by the President of the United States.” Caracas said it would take the case to international bodies and vowed to defend its sovereignty and natural resources.
Iran’s embassy in Caracas also denounced the operation, accusing the US of grossly violating international law and norms. Both Venezuela and Iran remain under extensive US sanctions that restrict their ability to export oil through normal commercial channels.
The incident has fuelled concerns among shipping companies and insurers involved in Venezuela related trade. Observers warn that further seizures could deter tanker traffic, squeeze Venezuela’s already limited oil exports and add new volatility to global energy supplies.
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