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The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, two U.S. officials reported on Tuesday, marking a notable escalation in the Trump administration’s maritime enforcement activity in the region.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard. They did not identify the vessel or provide the precise location of the interdiction.
Venezuela has managed to boost its oil exports this year compared with 2024 levels, even as Washington has intensified pressure on President Nicolás Maduro. Until now, U.S. Navy forces had avoided direct interference with Venezuelan oil shipments, instead focusing on boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean.
President Donald Trump’s administration has recently signaled a willingness to broaden military operations. The U.S. Navy has launched strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea, and officials have suggested operations could extend to land-based targets if necessary.
On Monday, two sources familiar with internal discussions said President Trump planned to meet with top advisers to review U.S. strategy toward Venezuela. That meeting follows the president’s confirmation on Sunday that he had spoken with Maduro.
Since September, U.S. forces have conducted numerous strikes on what the administration has labeled “narco-terrorist” boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 83 people, according to U.S. officials.
With negotiations stalled, President Trump has moved to increase pressure on Venezuela, RSBN previously reported. He declared the South American nation’s airspace “closed in its entirety” earlier this month and said U.S. land-based operations aimed at combating drug-trafficking networks tied to Venezuela would begin “very soon.”
The Trump administration has also designated the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. U.S. officials say the group is led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials, with the move meaning that the government will use expanded counterterrorism authorities.
A growing U.S. military presence has now gathered near Venezuela, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, more than 10 warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 fighter jets. The buildup has heightened concerns among regional governments about the possibility of a direct confrontation amid rising tensions.
