The United States has seized an oil tanker that recently departed from Venezuela, marking the second such interception this month as Washington escalates enforcement against what it describes as illicit Venezuelan oil shipments.
The operation was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard in international waters and follows President Donald Trump’s announcement this week that the U.S. would impose a maritime “blockade” on oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela in violation of American sanctions.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Coast Guard, said a specialized tactical boarding team intercepted the vessel during a pre-dawn operation on December 20.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the seizure in a post on X, sharing video footage that shows helicopters landing on the deck of a tanker identified as Centuries.
“In a pre-dawn action early this morning, the U.S. Coast Guard, with support from the Department of Defense, apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela,” Noem wrote.
She added that the U.S. would continue targeting sanctioned oil movements that authorities say fund criminal and extremist activity in the region.
The Centuries is a Panamanian-flagged vessel that has also sailed under Greek and Liberian flags in recent years, according to maritime records reviewed by BBC Verify. The tanker does not appear on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of sanctioned vessels.
U.S. officials have not publicly released evidence showing the tanker was carrying sanctioned cargo, nor have they clarified the vessel’s final destination.
Venezuela’s government strongly condemned the action, calling it an act of “theft and kidnapping” and accusing Washington of attempting to seize the country’s resources.
“These acts will not go unpunished,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement, adding that it plans to file complaints with the United Nations Security Council and other international bodies.
President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly rejected U.S. accusations that his government uses oil revenues to finance criminal or terrorist networks.
Read Also: Venezuela Condemns U.S. Oil Blockade As ‘Irrational’
The seizure comes amid a broader expansion of U.S. military operations in the Caribbean Sea, where American forces have recently conducted strikes on boats accused of drug trafficking. Those operations reportedly resulted in around 100 deaths, though the U.S. military has not publicly presented evidence that the vessels were carrying narcotics.
The campaign has drawn growing scrutiny from members of Congress, particularly over the scope of military force being used and the lack of transparency.
Following the tanker seizure, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. would continue maritime interdiction operations to dismantle criminal networks operating in the region. “Violence, drugs, and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere,” Hegseth wrote on X.
Trump’s order to enforce a maritime blockade came days after the U.S. seized another tanker, the Skipper, which officials described as part of a “ghost fleet” allegedly designed to conceal sanctioned oil shipments.
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, relies heavily on oil exports to fund government operations. U.S. sanctions have already constrained its ability to sell crude on global markets, increasing reliance on complex shipping networks.
