US Coast Guard Seizes Oil Tanker off Venezuela, Escalating Pressure on Maduro Regime

In a bold move to disrupt Venezuela's oil trade, the US Coast Guard has seized an oil tanker in international waters off the country's coast. The seizure, which took place on December 20, marks the second such interdiction in a fortnight and is part of a broader pressure campaign by the United States against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. According to US officials, the operation was carried out by the US Coast Guard in collaboration with the Department of War, with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem releasing a video of the seizure on social media. The video shows a US helicopter hovering above the oil tanker, with Coast Guard personnel and military support securing the vessel. The latest seizure is a key escalation in Washington's pressure campaign against Maduro's government, which has been hit with additional sanctions on oil-linked vessels and entities. The US has also increased its naval and Coast Guard presence in the region, aimed at curbing the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that funds narco-terrorism in the area. In a statement accompanying the video, Noem vowed that the US would continue to pursue and stop the illicit movement of sanctioned oil, saying: “We will find you, and we will stop you.” The US has made it clear that it will not tolerate the use of oil trade to fund narco-terrorism in the region, and this latest seizure is a clear demonstration of that commitment.