Venezuela has issued a formal condemnation following the second seizure of an oil tanker by United States military forces in the southern Caribbean within recent weeks. The incident occurred in international waters on Saturday, December 20th, escalating already heightened tensions between the two nations.
According to Venezuelan government statements, US Coast Guard personnel supported by Department of War assets conducted a pre-dawn operation to apprehend a private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil. The action resulted in what Caracas described as the ‘forced disappearance’ of the ship’s crew alongside what it characterized as a criminal act of maritime theft.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed the seizure through social media platform X, posting an unclassified video showing US helicopter personnel boarding a vessel identified as ‘Centuries’ off the Venezuelan coast. The operation aligns with President Donald Trump’s Tuesday announcement implementing a total blockade against US-sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, with subsequent interviews confirming intentions to continue seizing additional vessels.
Venezuelan authorities have denounced the actions as violations of international law and fundamental principles of maritime navigation freedom, vowing to pursue legal recourse through United Nations channels. This latest seizure follows a similar incident on December 10th, which Venezuela previously condemned as ‘blatant theft and international piracy.’
The escalating maritime confrontations occur alongside a significant US military buildup in the region, described as the largest in generations. Associated Press reports indicate at least 104 fatalities across 28 known strikes since early September, though these operations face growing scrutiny from US lawmakers and human rights advocates questioning evidence standards and alleging extrajudicial killings.
International voices have expressed concern over the deteriorating situation. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned that armed intervention in Venezuela would create ‘a humanitarian catastrophe’ for the region while establishing dangerous global precedents. Similarly, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla criticized recent US designation of Venezuela’s government as a ‘foreign terrorist organization’ as politically motivated.