US Intercepts Venezuelan Oil Tanker In International Waters As Trump Ramps Up Pressure On Maduro

The United States on Saturday intercepted an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, marking a sharp escalation in Washington’s campaign to block Maduro’s oil exports.

US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker

On Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the Coast Guard seized a vessel previously docked in Venezuela.

“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem said.

She added, “We will find you, and we will stop you.”

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.

The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025

Tanker Part Of Maduro’s Shadow Fleet

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly added that the tanker, believed to be the Panama-flagged Centuries, was “a falsely flagged vessel operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet to traffic stolen oil and fund the narcoterrorist Maduro regime.”

The tanker contained sanctioned PDVSA oil. It was a falsely flagged vessel operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet to traffic stolen oil and fund the narcoterrorist Maduro regime. https://t.co/U1o7EYex6m

— Anna Kelly (@AnnaKelly47) December 21, 2025

Venezuela denounced the interception as a “serious act of international piracy,” claiming its crew went missing and vowing to report the incident to the United Nations Security Council and other international bodies, reported Reuters.

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US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker, Escalating Tensions

U.S. forces seized a large oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, escalating tensions with President Nicolás Maduro’s government after President Donald Trump confirmed the operation and said the U.S. would keep the crude on board.

Officials said the Coast Guard, backed by the Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford, boarded the Panama-flagged Skipper in international waters under a federal seizure warrant tied to sanctions on an illicit Iran-Venezuela oil network.

The vessel, previously known as the M/T Adisa, was reportedly carrying about 2 million barrels of heavy crude, some destined for Cuba and linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah.

Venezuela condemned the seizure as international piracy and said it would challenge the action through international bodies.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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