The United States has dramatically escalated its pressure campaign against Venezuela’s sanctioned oil trade, seizing a second oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea in a matter of days. According to multiple U.S. officials, the latest operation unfolded Saturday just after the vessel departed Venezuelan waters—another decisive move signaling that Washington is done issuing warnings and has moved fully into enforcement mode.
The tanker was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard in international waters, where federal authorities executed a seizure tied to sanctions violations. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly confirmed the action, making it clear the vessel was part of a broader illicit network operating in defiance of U.S. law.
Saturday’s interdiction marks the second Venezuelan-linked tanker seized this month, underscoring the seriousness of the administration’s crackdown. Just days earlier, U.S. forces boarded and took control of the oil tanker Skipper shortly after it left a Venezuelan port on December 10. The Skipper, a massive crude carrier already sanctioned for ties to Iranian oil smuggling operations, was hauling roughly 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey heavy crude—a lucrative cargo fueling the Maduro regime.
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