The U.S. Coast Guard is currently engaged in the pursuit of another sanctioned oil tanker in international waters, as revealed by a U.S. official. This move appears to align with the Trump administration’s increasing focus on vessels associated with the Venezuelan government.
If successfully intercepted, this would mark the third Venezuelan tanker seized by U.S. authorities within the month. The Coast Guard’s actions target what has been described as a “sanctioned dark fleet vessel” involved in Venezuela’s alleged sanctions evasion efforts. The vessel is reportedly flying a false flag and operates under a judicial seizure order.
The details of the ongoing pursuit were first disclosed by Reuters, although U.S. officials did not specify the vessel’s location or name.
In an operation conducted early on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully seized a Panama-flagged vessel known as Centuries. According to another U.S. official, this action mirrored a previous seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly took to social media to describe the captured vessel as part of a network trafficking stolen oil to financially support what she termed the “narcoterrorist Maduro regime.”
In response to the seizure, the Venezuelan government condemned the action, labeling it a “serious act of piracy.” They claimed that the “colonialist model” imposed by the U.S. would ultimately fail, vowing that such acts would not go unpunished. Venezuela intends to invoke international channels, including the United Nations Security Council, to address these grievances.
Last week, President Trump called for a “total and complete blockade” on all sanctioned oil tankers operating in and out of Venezuela, as part of the wider pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro.
Earlier this month, reports indicated that U.S. military forces had seized a 20-year-old sanctioned oil tanker that had recently departed from a Venezuelan port.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, stated on “Face the Nation” that the initial two seized tankers were involved in black market operations supplying oil to countries under sanctions. He reassured the public that these seizures would not significantly impact oil prices in the U.S.
The targeting of these tankers coincides with President Trump’s orders to the Defense Department to conduct operations against vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific suspected of smuggling fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States. Since early September, at least 104 individuals have lost their lives in 28 known military strikes linked to this initiative.
