The Trump administration has initiated a significant escalation in its campaign against Venezuela’s oil industry by filing federal court warrants targeting oil tankers connected to the sanctioned South American nation. According to Reuters reports from Tuesday, the U.S. government has submitted multiple civil forfeiture actions seeking authorization to confiscate both vessels and cargo involved in Venezuelan oil trade.
This legal maneuver follows the Pentagon’s stark declaration on Friday that it would actively “hunt down and interdict all dark fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at the time and place of our choosing.” Since December, U.S. forces have already seized five oil tankers with Venezuelan connections, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to disrupting President Nicolas Maduro’s primary revenue stream.
The aggressive stance comes amid dramatic developments in the Venezuela crisis. On January 3rd, the Pentagon executed a large-scale strike in the oil-rich nation that resulted in the capture of President Maduro, who now faces drug charges in New York custody. Following this operation, President Trump announced the United States would assume control over Venezuela’s substantial oil resources, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarifying that this control would extend beyond marketing stored oil to indefinitely managing the country’s oil production sales.
Parallel to these coercive measures, diplomatic channels show tentative signs of activity. Bloomberg reported that Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez is preparing to dispatch an envoy to Washington amid discussions about potentially reopening the U.S. embassy in Venezuela. Felix Plasencia, the country’s ambassador to Britain and former foreign minister, is expected to meet with senior U.S. officials at Rodriguez’s direction. Additionally, prominent opposition figure Maria Corina Machado is anticipated to visit the White House, signaling possible political negotiations.
The State Department confirmed on Friday that personnel from its Colombia-based Venezuela Affairs Unit will conduct preliminary assessments for a “potential phased resumption of operations” in Venezuela, suggesting the possibility of renewed diplomatic engagement despite the ongoing economic pressure campaign.