The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, escalating pressure under the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary
Kristi Noem confirmed the operation in a social media post, noting that Department of Defence support had facilitated the pre-dawn mission carried out by the Coast Guard. She added that the tanker’s last port of call had been in Venezuela. "In a pre-dawn action early this morning on December 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela," Noem said. She shared a seven-minute video of the operation, showing US helicopters landing on the deck of a ship named Centuries.
In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.
The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025
"The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you. Thank you to our brave men and women of the @USCGand @DeptofWar," she added.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan officials condemned the “theft and kidnapping” of the oil tanker on Saturday. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez warned that “these acts will not go unpunished” and added that “those responsible for these serious events will answer to justice and to history for their criminal conduct.”
This marks the second sanctioned vessel seized by the United States. On December 10, an elite US Coast Guard tactical operations team, supported by US Navy helicopters, boarded and took control of The Skipper, an oil tanker sanctioned for participating in an illicit oil operation connected to Venezuela.
President Donald Trump this week threatened to impose a blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, escalating pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s regime. “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his social media platform. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before.”
Maduro stated that Venezuela would continue its oil trade and accused Trump of seeking regime change. “This will just not happen, never, never, never -- Venezuela will never be a colony of anything or anyone, never,” he said.
