The United States intercepted and seized a second oil tanker off Venezuela's coast on Saturday (20), days after President Donald Trump's total blockade announcement. The action, confirmed by US authorities, comes amid escalating tensions and marks the second in weeks. Nicolás Maduro's regime denounced it as robbery and vowed international measures.
The United States conducted an operation to seize a second oil tanker off Venezuela's coast on December 20, 2025, as reported by US authorities to Reuters and The Washington Post. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the action on social media, stating that "the United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that funds narcoterrorism in the region." The Coast Guard, with Pentagon support, captured the vessel before dawn in international Caribbean waters.
The ship, flying a Panamanian flag and operated by a Panamanian company, was carrying Venezuelan oil destined for a Chinese firm, according to The New York Times. Though not on the US Treasury's public sanctions list, the cargo is part of exports Washington aims to block. This marks the second seizure in weeks; the first occurred on December 10, when Trump remarked that the US took "a very big ship for a great reason" and that it "will stay with us."
Trump announced on the preceding Tuesday a "total and complete blockade of all sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuela," intensifying pressure on Maduro's regime, deemed illegitimate by the US. Venezuela, holding the world's largest oil reserves and an economy reliant on exports, saw shipments drop after the first interception. Vessels carrying millions of barrels remain anchored in Venezuelan waters to avoid risks.
In response, the Venezuelan government issued a statement rejecting "categorically the robbery and kidnapping of a new private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as the forced disappearance of its crew." It asserted that "these acts will not go unpunished" and plans to report to the UN Security Council and other bodies. Maduro demanded an end to the US "brutal and illegal intervention."
At the Mercosul summit in Foz do Iguaçu, President Lula warned that an armed intervention in Venezuela would be a "humanitarian catastrophe" and dangerous precedent, referencing the Falklands War. Argentine President Javier Milei, however, praised Trump's pressure, labeling Maduro's regime a "atrocious and inhumane dictatorship" and stating that "the time for a timid approach has run out."
Experts note that a prolonged blockade could strangle Venezuela's economy, removing up to one million barrels per day from the global market and pressuring international prices, though current supplies remain stable.
