The U.S. government declassified images of the confiscation of another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela this Saturday.
"In an operation just before dawn this morning, December 20, the United States Coast Guard, with the support of the Department of Defense, intercepted a tanker that was last docked in Venezuela," said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on X.
"The United States will continue to pursue the illicit trafficking of authorized oil that is used to finance narco-terrorism in the region. We will find them and stop them," he added.
Noem thanked the "brave men and women of the Coast Guard and the Department of War."
The confiscation of the vessel was confirmed on Saturday to Reuters by three U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The action took place days after President Donald Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” against “all sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.”
Reuters notes that this would be the second seizure of a tanker near Venezuela in recent weeks and that it occurs amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the region.
According to the cited officials, the exact location of the operation was not specified.
Reuters reported that the Coast Guard and the Pentagon sent questions to the White House, which “did not respond immediately” to a request for comments.
The agency added that, since the first seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker, an “effective embargo” has occurred, with ships loaded with millions of barrels of oil remaining in Venezuelan waters to avoid being confiscated; and that, following that initial action, exports of Venezuelan crude oil are said to have plummeted drastically.
In the context of crude oil transportation, Reuters explained that, although many ships collecting oil from Venezuela are sanctioned, there are others—some of which transport oil linked to Iran or Russia—that are not. It mentioned that companies like the American Chevron transport Venezuelan oil on their own “authorized” vessels.
The report also notes that China is the largest buyer of Venezuelan crude and cites analysts' estimates regarding the volume of shipments in December.
Reuters also noted that, since the U.S. imposed energy sanctions on Venezuela in 2019, buyers and refiners have turned to a “ghost fleet” or “shadow fleet” of oil tankers that disguise their location, and that this type of fleet is considered exposed to potential punitive measures from Washington.
Finally, the report frames the measure as part of a campaign of Trump's pressure on Nicolás Maduro, which would include increased military presence and actions against ships near Venezuela; and it mentions that Maduro has claimed that the U.S. deployment aims to overthrow him and take control of the country's oil resources.
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