U.S. Seizes Vessel Off Venezuelan Coast After Trump Orders Oil Blockade

The United States has seized another vessel operating off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, according to three U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on Saturday. The action comes just days after President Donald Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Coast Guard is leading the operation. They did not disclose the exact location of the interdiction. The Coast Guard and the Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond. Venezuela’s oil ministry and state-owned oil company PDVSA also declined to comment.

This marks the second tanker seizure near Venezuela in recent weeks and signals a sharp escalation in U.S. pressure on the Maduro regime. Since the first seizure last week, an effective embargo has taken hold, with oil tankers carrying millions of barrels of crude remaining in Venezuelan waters rather than risk interception by U.S. forces.

As a result, Venezuelan crude exports have dropped significantly. Analysts say that while the global oil market remains well supplied for now, a prolonged disruption could drive prices higher, particularly if nearly a million barrels per day remain sidelined.

China remains the largest buyer of Venezuelan crude, accounting for roughly 4 percent of its total oil imports. Shipments to China in December were on pace to exceed 600,000 barrels per day, according to analysts. Some oil continues to move through authorized channels, including shipments handled by Chevron, which operates under a U.S. Treasury waiver allowing limited activity with Venezuela’s state oil sector.

Since U.S. energy sanctions were imposed in 2019, traders and refiners have increasingly relied on a so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers to move Venezuelan oil. These vessels often disguise their locations or operate under flags tied to Iranian or Russian oil shipments. Shipping analysts say these tankers are especially vulnerable to U.S. enforcement actions.

Data from TankerTrackers.com shows that more than 70 shadow fleet tankers are currently in Venezuelan waters. Of those, roughly 38 are under U.S. Treasury sanctions, and at least 15 are fully loaded with crude or fuel.

Trump’s broader pressure campaign against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has included a significant U.S. military buildup in the region and more than two dozen strikes on suspected narco-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, actions that have reportedly killed more than 100 individuals tied to cartel operations.

The president has also warned that land-based military strikes inside Venezuela could begin soon. Maduro has accused the United States of preparing to overthrow his government and seize control of the country’s vast oil reserves, the largest proven reserves in the world.