The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced the seizure of an oil tanker that recently departed from Venezuela.
This marks the second instance this month in which the U.S. has intercepted an oil-carrying vessel off the Venezuelan coast.
The action follows a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, indicating his intention to implement a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
As of yet, there has been no response from Venezuela regarding this latest seizure. However, the Venezuelan government has previously accused Washington of attempting to expropriate its oil resources.
The operation, led by the U.S. Coast Guard, mirrors a similar undertaking earlier in the month. A specialized tactical team boarded the ship while it was in international waters.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, which oversees the Coast Guard, shared footage of the operation on X.
“In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela,” Noem stated.
She also posted a seven-minute video of the operation, which appeared to show US helicopters landing on the deck of a ship with the name Centuries written on the side.
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem wrote, adding: “We will find you, and we will stop you.”
According to the website Vessel Finder, the Centuries is a Panamanian-flagged crude-oil tanker built in 2001.
It remains unclear whether the ship is subject to U.S. sanctions.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea and has carried out deadly strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats, resulting in approximately 100 fatalities.
The U.S. has not provided public evidence substantiating claims of drug trafficking on these vessels, and the military’s actions have faced growing scrutiny from Congress.
The U.S. has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a designated terrorist organization known as Cartel de los Soles, an allegation he denies.
The Trump administration alleges that Maduro and the group utilize “stolen” oil to finance illicit activities, including “Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping.”
Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, is heavily reliant on oil export revenues to fund government spending.
Trump’s “blockade” announcement followed the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker, believed to be part of a “ghost fleet” operating off the coast of Venezuela, less than a week prior. This fleet allegedly employs various strategies to conceal its operations.
The White House stated that the vessel in question, named the Skipper, had been involved in “illicit oil shipping” and would be transported to a U.S. port.
The Venezuelan government condemned the seizure, with Maduro accusing the U.S. of “kidnapping the crew” and “stealing” the ship.
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