US intercepts oil tanker near Venezuela after Trump orders blockade

The United States has intercepted an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, escalating pressure on the South American nation days after President Donald Trump announced a blockade of sanctioned oil shipments. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on Saturday that the Coast Guard stopped a vessel that had recently docked in Venezuela, marking the second such interception in recent weeks amid a growing US military presence in the region.

US officials said the tanker was carrying sanctioned oil and was operating as part of what Washington describes as Venezuela’s “shadow fleet,” used to bypass international sanctions. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the vessel was falsely flagged and accused it of trafficking stolen oil to fund the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuelan authorities, however, rejected the claims and described the interception as an act of international piracy.

Caracas said US forces hijacked a private vessel and caused the forced disappearance of its crew, adding that it would raise the issue at the United Nations Security Council and other international bodies. Venezuela’s oil ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Maritime risk firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Panama-flagged tanker Centuries, which was intercepted east of Barbados. Legal experts noted that the ship itself was not under US sanctions, calling the move a further escalation of Washington’s campaign against Venezuela and questioning its consistency with Trump’s stated focus on sanctioned tankers only.

Trump announced earlier this week that he had ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. Since a previous tanker seizure last week, many oil vessels have remained in Venezuelan waters to avoid interception, sharply reducing the country’s crude exports.

Venezuela relies heavily on oil exports, with China its largest buyer, accounting for about 4% of Chinese crude imports. Analysts say that while global oil supplies are currently ample, a prolonged disruption of Venezuelan exports could push prices higher. Since US energy sanctions were imposed in 2019, Venezuelan oil has largely been moved through a shadow fleet of tankers that disguise their identity or operate under false flags.

According to shipping analysts, dozens of tankers linked to Venezuela are currently under US sanctions, many of them loaded with crude. The intercepted tanker was reportedly carrying around 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude bound for China.

Trump’s renewed pressure campaign against Maduro has included increased military deployments and repeated actions against vessels near Venezuela. The president has also warned that US land strikes could begin soon, while Maduro has accused Washington of seeking to overthrow his government and seize control of the country’s vast oil reserves.