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U.S. forces intercepted another vessel near the coast of Venezuela as President Donald Trump intensifies the pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down. “In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the U.S. Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X Saturday.
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” she wrote in the post that contained a 7-minute video of what appears to be a U.S. military helicopter deploying forces onto the deck of the ship.
Trump designated the Venezuelan government a “terrorist organization” last week and ordered a “complete and total” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of the country. The Trump administration has also designated Maduro a “drug lord” who assists in the importation of deadly drugs into the U.S.
Venezuela, meanwhile, has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and currently produces about 1 million barrels of crude per day.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Tuesday. “For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
Trump then announced that, effective Wednesday, he would be ordering a “total and complete blockade” of all oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
“The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace,” his Truth post continued. “America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY.”
The U.S. designation of Venezuela as a terrorist entity came one week after American authorities seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.
Venezuela’s oil industry has been severely affected by U.S. sanctions imposed under Trump and continued during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
The Trump administration said the seized vessel was being used to transport oil from Venezuela to Iran, both of which are subject to U.S. energy sanctions. Trump said the United States would retain the seized oil, the Washington Times reported.
The Department of Defense has also conducted a series of strikes targeting vessels it described as drug-trafficking boats operating in the region. According to the administration, 28 boats have been struck, resulting in at least 104 deaths.
U.S. military activity in the region has increased in recent weeks, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier, additional warships, aircraft, and thousands of troops. Trump has also said that land-based strikes inside Venezuela could be forthcoming.
The Venezuelan government condemned the tanker seizures, calling them “blatant theft and an act of international piracy.” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a recently published article in Vanity Fair that the president “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
