A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. Coast Guard was tracking a third oil tanker near Venezuela in the Caribbean, adding that the vessel was part of Venezuela’s shadow fleet used to evade sanctions.
The ship, which was sailing in international waters near Venezuela, was reportedly flying a false flag and was subject to a judicial seizure order, officials briefed on the mission said.
The identity of the vessel is currently unknown, and another official claimed the vessel was not yet on board.
On Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro took to Telegram to condemn “acts of aggression, from spiritual terrorism to piracy in attacks on oil tankers,” adding: “We are ready to accelerate the pace of a deep revolution!”
After the last seizure, President Maduro vowed not to let it go “unpunished” and said he would lodge a complaint with the United Nations Security Council.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Pentagon and the U.S. Coast Guard, forwarded questions about the operation to the White House, which has not yet commented.
If successful, it would be the second surgery of this kind over the weekend and the third within two weeks. This is part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to crack down on sanctioned vessels with ties to the Venezuelan government.
The United States seized the Panamanian-flagged tanker Centuries on Saturday, and the sanctions tanker Skipper on December 10.
The reasons for the Century’s seizure are less clear than the Skipper, which did not fly a national flag and was part of a shadow fleet carrying sanctioned cargo. The White House similarly described Centuries as a “false flag ship smuggling stolen oil as part of Venezuela’s shadow fleet.”
However, maritime historian Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano said the Century appeared to be legitimate, according to maritime databases. “Everything points to this being a properly registered vessel,” he said, but added that the vessel was likely carrying sanctioned oil.
Last week, the Trump administration announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from the country, demanding the return of assets seized from U.S. oil companies years ago.
“President Trump has made it clear: The blockade of sanctioned oil tankers leaving or bound for Venezuela will remain in full force until President Maduro’s criminal enterprise returns all stolen U.S. assets,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on the X Show.
The United States has also targeted vessels suspected of smuggling fentanyl and other drugs, with at least 104 people killed in 28 known attacks since September. The strike has come under intense scrutiny from US lawmakers and human rights activists, with critics saying there is a lack of evidence and the deaths amount to extrajudicial killings.