US Blocks Second Tanker in Venezuela Blockade, Escalating Tensions with Maduro Regime

In a move to tighten the screws on Venezuela's embattled government, the US Coast Guard intercepted and boarded a second oil tanker in the Caribbean on Saturday, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The Centuries supertanker, carrying up to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, was flying a Panamanian flag and was previously docked in Venezuela. A Chinese company owns the oil, and the crew of around 40 people is mostly Chinese. This marks the second tanker to be interdicted by US personnel this month, with the first vessel being stopped on December 10. However, unlike the first tanker, the Centuries did not appear on US sanctions lists or notices before being intercepted. The tanker was found to be carrying sanctioned oil from state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela SA, according to the White House. The operation, which was assisted by the Defense Department, has been condemned by Venezuelan Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez as 'theft and kidnapping' and 'a serious act of piracy' by the US government. The move is seen as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to choke off a key revenue stream for Venezuela, which has seen its oil production reach the government's target of 1.2 million barrels per day. Trump has been escalating pressure on the Maduro regime, designating it as a foreign terrorist organization and accusing it of involvement in drug trafficking. The US has also nominated Marine Corps Lieutenant General Francis Donovan as head of US Southern Command, which has responsibility for operations related to the Venezuelan blockade. The intercepting of the second tanker may further inflame tensions between the US and Venezuela, with Trump saying he doesn't rule out a war with Venezuela. The conflict is centered on Venezuela's oil production and the revenue it generates for the government, with the US seeking to cut off this source of income.