U.S. Plans More Oil Tanker Seizures Off Venezuela
Reports suggest that the United States intends to take additional oil tankers near Venezuela’s coast, following a successful operation executed on Wednesday, as mentioned by sources to Reuters this week.
This recent action marks a significant increase in military engagement in the Caribbean, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to push Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro out of power. Since 2019, Venezuela has been under U.S. sanctions.
During a press briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt informed that the Justice Department had secured a warrant for the previous operation, citing that the vessel was a “sanctioned shadow vessel” linked to black market oil traffic for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Anticipate more interventions targeting vessels transporting Venezuelan oil to countries that have also been sanctioned by the U.S. This strategy has reportedly been in development for months, with authorities having drawn up a list of specific ships, according to insiders discussing the matter with Reuters.
When asked about future operations, Leavitt refrained from providing detailed information but emphasized that the U.S. “will not sit idle” while sanctioned ships operate, asserting that the profits from these activities contribute to narco-terrorism globally.
The U.S. military has been steadily increasing its presence in the southern Caribbean near Venezuela, leading to speculation that a large-scale initiative to unseat Maduro may be on the horizon.
President Trump indicated in an interview that Maduro “doesn’t have much time left,” which was made public earlier this week.
In a reported offer made to Maduro in November, Trump proposed a deal that would allow Maduro and his family safe passage if he stepped down from power and exited the nation. Maduro now faces a $50 million bounty from the U.S., marking the highest ever placed on a sitting head of state.
Venezuela, despite possessing the world’s largest proven oil reserves—significantly surpassing that of the United States—relies heavily on oil for economic support. Yet, oil revenues continue to decline.
Seizing vessels and cutting off Venezuelan oil exports could impose severe economic strains on Maduro and the Venezuelan populace as a whole.
The Pentagon referred inquiries to the White House, which did not provide immediate commentary on this matter.
