The United States seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, sharply escalating President Donald Trump’s effort to control energy flows in the Western Hemisphere and pressure Venezuela’s socialist government into alignment with Washington.
U.S. officials said the seizures were part of an expanding maritime blockade targeting vessels under sanctions moving oil to and from Venezuela, an OPEC member with the world’s largest proven crude reserves. The actions follow a dramatic U.S. military operation last weekend in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has since been transferred to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
One of the seized vessels, the Marinera crude oil tanker, had been the subject of a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic. According to U.S. officials, the tanker refused boarding last month before changing its registration and sailing under the Russian flag. Early Wednesday morning, U.S. Coast Guard units and U.S. military special forces executed a judicial seizure warrant and took control of the vessel.
The operation unfolded amid heightened geopolitical risk, with Russian naval assets, including a submarine, reported to be operating nearby. Moscow has condemned U.S. actions against Venezuela but did not immediately comment on the seizure, which occurred during a public holiday in Russia.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance dismissed the tanker’s Russian registration as a ruse. “It was a fake Russian oil tanker,” Vance said in an interview on Fox News. “They basically tried to pretend to be a Russian oil tanker in an effort to avoid the sanctions regime.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Coast Guard also intercepted a Panama-flagged tanker, the M Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America. The vessel was fully loaded with Venezuelan crude, according to records from state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). It marked the fourth tanker seizure by the United States in recent weeks.
While the Marinera was empty at the time of its capture, U.S. authorities said both ships were part of a “shadow fleet” used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said Washington would strictly police maritime energy trade. “The only maritime energy transport allowed will be that consistent with American law and national security,” he said, adding that Venezuela could unlock “unlimited economic potential” through U.S.-approved channels.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Marinera’s crew made “frantic efforts to avoid apprehension” and failed to comply with Coast Guard orders, exposing them to criminal charges.
At the same time, the Trump administration is pursuing negotiations with Venezuelan officials to redirect oil shipments away from China, Venezuela’s largest buyer, and toward U.S.-controlled markets. Officials say the talks could involve access to up to $2 billion worth of crude. China sharply criticized the approach, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning calling it “brazen bullying” and condemning Washington’s demand that Venezuela put “America First” in managing its resources.
Trump has openly discussed leveraging Venezuela’s oil wealth alongside U.S. energy companies, portraying Maduro as a drug-trafficking dictator allied with U.S. adversaries. Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty this week after appearing in shackles in a federal court in New York.
In Venezuela, political uncertainty remains acute. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said 100 people were killed during the U.S. operation in Caracas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has condemned what she called Maduro’s “kidnapping” while signaling cautious openness to cooperation under threat of further U.S. military action.
Trump said on social media that revenues from any oil deal would be used by Venezuela to purchase American goods, including agricultural products and medicine. The White House confirmed it is selectively rolling back some sanctions imposed during Trump’s first term to enable limited oil transactions.
PDVSA acknowledged negotiations with Washington, describing them as “strictly commercial” and legally transparent. Still, major U.S. oil companies remain wary. The Financial Times reported firms are seeking firm guarantees amid concerns over the volatility of Trump’s foreign policy.
Global oil prices fell on expectations that Trump’s plan could release additional supply. Meanwhile, China, Russia and leftist governments have denounced the U.S. operation, while even close U.S. allies have expressed unease over the precedent of seizing a sitting foreign head of state.
