Shafaq News – Washington
The United States intercepted a Venezuelan oil tanker ininternational waters, marking the third vessel seized amid rising tensions withCaracas, Reuters said on Sunday.
Citing two US officials, the agency reported that the USNavy carried out the operation, without providing details on the ship involvedor the exact location of the interception
In a post on X, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly laterindicated that the tanker was transporting oil “returning to the Venezuelanstate oil company,” adding that the ship operated under “a false flag and ispart of the Venezuelan shadow fleet that traffics stolen oil to finance the[Venezuelan President Nicolas] Maduro regime and smuggle drugs.”
The tanker contained sanctioned PDVSA oil. It was a falsely flagged vessel operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet to traffic stolen oil and fund the narcoterrorist Maduro regime. t.co/U1o7EYex6m
— Anna Kelly (@AnnaKelly47) December 21, 2025Tanker-tracking website TankerTrackers, meanwhile, reportedthat the vessel, flying the Panamanian flag, carried 1.8 million barrels ofcrude oil from a Venezuelan port destined for a Chinese company. It also notedthat the tanker is not listed among individuals or entities under US TreasuryDepartment sanctions.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump ordered a“total blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela,intensifying pressure on Maduro by targeting his government’s main source ofincome.
The Venezuelan government responded swiftly, charging thatTrump’s actions violated international law, free trade rules, and the principleof free navigation. Caracas further indicated plans to bring the matter to theUnited Nations, describing the blockade as “a reckless and grave threat” tonational sovereignty.
The escalation follows an incident earlier this month inwhich US forces seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast. Tensions betweenWashington and Caracas have continued to mount as the Trump administrationexpands its pressure campaign aimed at removing Maduro from power. In recentmonths, the US has deployed thousands of troops and a carrier strike group tothe Caribbean while targeting vessels identified as drug-trafficking boats.
US media, based on military figures, indicated that recentoperations in the region led to the destruction of 23 suspected drug boats andthe deaths of 87 people.
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