The United States will seek to increase the number of seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers, according to official sources
Meanwhile, the Treasury Department sanctioned six supertankers that recently loaded crude in Venezuela and four Venezuelan citizens, including relatives of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores. It is unclear whether the sanctioned vessels are part of the list of possible seizures.
The United States is preparing to intercept more vessels transporting Venezuelan oil following the recent seizure of a tanker in the Caribbean, according to six sources familiar with the operations.
The action, the first of its kind since Washington imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, marks a decisive step in the pressure strategy against the Nicolás Maduro regime, whose hold on power is absolutely illegitimate.
The seizure of the vessel, identified as Skipper, takes place amid a broad U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean and a renewed push by President Donald Trump to cut off chavismo's sources of funding. Following the operation, several shipping companies and operators suspended or reconsidered their routes from Venezuelan ports, reflecting the immediate effect of the measure.
Several sources state that the United States plans to intervene in more vessels in the coming weeks, especially those that are part of the so-called "shadow fleet," used to move crude from sanctioned countries such as Venezuela, Iran, and Russia to buyers like China. According to these sources, Washington already has a list of targets that includes several previously sanctioned vessels.
The White House declined to detail future actions, but spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the administration will continue to fully enforce its sanctions policies. "We're not going to allow sanctioned vessels to continue sailing with black market oil that finances narco-terrorist and illegitimate regimes," she stated, reaffirming the government's commitment to stricter measures to curb chavismo's oil operations.
U.S. operations have immediately disrupted Venezuelan oil logistics. One operator suspended three recently loaded shipments, totaling nearly six million barrels of Merey crude, the country's main export product. Several vessels remain anchored off the coast, awaiting a clearer assessment of the risks.
Security sources indicated that U.S. forces are monitoring vessels both on the high seas and within Venezuelan ports, waiting for the moment they enter international waters to act. Surveillance has also intensified in waters near Guyana amid rising regional tensions.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government described the seizure as "international piracy." However, maritime law experts asserted that the action doesn't amount to piracy as it is backed by a state under a formal legal process.
These seizures represent a key tool to limit the revenue that sustains Maduro's dictatorship. By directly targeting oil transportation, the country's main source of foreign currency, U.S. authorities seek to increase economic pressure and accelerate political change in Venezuela.
