US set to size more ships carrying Venezuelan oil
The United States is preparing to intercept additional vessels transporting Venezuelan oil following this week’s seizure of a tanker, six sources familiar with the situation said on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The move marks an escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The tanker seizure was the first interception involving Venezuelan crude or a Venezuelan-linked vessel since U.S. sanctions were imposed in 2019. It comes amid a major U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean and increased efforts by President Donald Trump to push for Maduro’s removal from power.
The most recent U.S. action has alarmed shipowners, operators, and maritime agencies involved in moving Venezuelan oil, prompting many to reconsider planned departures from Venezuelan waters in the coming days, shipping sources said.
According to individuals familiar with U.S. planning, additional direct interventions are expected in the coming weeks. These operations may target vessels carrying Venezuelan oil that may also have transported crude from other countries under U.S. sanctions, including Iran. The sources declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA did not reply to a request for comment. Venezuela's government this week said the U.S. seizure constituted a "theft."
Asked whether the Trump administration planned further ship seizures, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters she would not speak about future actions but said the U.S. would continue executing the president’s sanctions policies.
“We're not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narcoterrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world," she said.
The U.S. has assembled a target list of several more sanctioned tankers for possible seizure, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. Justice Department and Homeland Security had been planning the seizures for months, according to two of the people.
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