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The Government of Cuba reacted to the seizure of a second oil tanker in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, an operation attributed to U.S. forces.
The official response was expressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, through a message published on X.
In his statement, Rodríguez Parrilla condemned what occurred and described the act as a "new act of piracy and maritime terrorism" by U.S. forces against an oil tanker and its crew.
According to the Cuban chancellor, this incident represents a reiteration of a behavior of "total disrespect and violation of international law, maritime law, and the freedom of navigation and trade."
He also alerted the international community about what he described as a new provocation by the United States against Venezuela, which he claimed seeks to escalate aggression against Venezuelan territory and appropriate its natural resources.
Havana's reaction comes after it was reported that the United States intercepted and seized a ship off the coast of Venezuela, in international waters, in an operation led by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Three U.S. officials confirmed the event to the Reuters agency on condition of anonymity, although they did not specify the exact location where the operation took place.
The incident occurred just a few days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a "total and complete blockade" against "all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela."
This action would mark the second seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela in recent weeks and occurs against a backdrop of increasing U.S. military presence in the region.
Subsequently, the government of the United States declassified images of the confiscation of the oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.
"In an operation before dawn this morning, December 20, the U.S. Coast Guard, with support from the Department of Defense, intercepted an oil tanker that had last docked in Venezuela," revealed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem.
Noem stated that the United States will continue to pursue the illicit trafficking of authorized oil, which she linked to the financing of narco-terrorism in the region.
On its part, Reuters added that, since the first seizure of a sanctioned tanker, an "effective embargo" appears to have been generated, with ships loaded with millions of barrels of oil remaining in Venezuelan waters to avoid the risk of being confiscated. According to the agency, following that initial action, Venezuelan crude oil exports have reportedly plummeted.
A new episode adds to this scenario.
The United States intercepted the tanker Bella-1, flying the Panamanian flag, in international waters near Venezuela, marking the third incident in recent days.
The Bella-1 is linked to the company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises, which has in turn been associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The ship had been sanctioned since June 2024 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
This would be the third seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela in recent weeks, amid a notable U.S. military buildup in the region.
The described situation is set against a backdrop of pressure from President Donald Trump on Nicolás Maduro's government, which would include an increase in the U.S. military presence and direct actions against oil tankers near Venezuela.
In this context, Maduro has claimed that the deployment of U.S. forces aims to overthrow him and take control of the country's oil resources.
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