The United States has escalated its maritime pressure campaign on Venezuela, seizing a second oil tanker near the country's coastline in less than two weeks. The action comes as President Donald Trump declines to rule out the possibility of a wider military conflict with the South American nation.
Dramatic Interception Captured on Video
In a pre-dawn operation on Saturday, December 20, 2025, the US Coast Guard, backed by the Department of Defense, apprehended the oil tanker named Centuries. The vessel, which had most recently been docked in Venezuela, was heading towards Asia when it was intercepted.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared video footage on social media platform X, showing a US helicopter hovering over the tanker. She stated the action was part of ongoing efforts to halt the illicit movement of sanctioned oil, which the US claims funds "narco-terrorism" in the region.
Trump's Hardline Stance and Regional Division
The seizure follows a direct order from President Trump last week for a naval blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. This policy was enacted after US forces captured another tanker near the same coastline on December 10.
When questioned by NBC News on Friday about the potential for a full-scale war, President Trump responded, "I don't rule it out, no." He has consistently blamed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro for migrant flows into the US and for allowing the trafficking of drugs like fentanyl and cocaine.
The incident has sharply divided regional leaders. At a recent gathering of South American heads of state, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned that the continent was "once again haunted by the military presence of an extra-regional power." In contrast, Argentina's President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, welcomed the US pressure to "free the Venezuelan people."
Venezuela's Response and Conflicting Accounts
The Venezuelan government has issued a fierce condemnation, labelling the seizure a "criminal" act of "theft and hijacking." In an official statement, it accused US personnel of the "enforced disappearance" of the tanker's crew in international waters and promised to lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations.
This account conflicts with that of an anonymous US official, who described the event as a "consented boarding," suggesting the tanker stopped voluntarily to allow American forces aboard. It remains unclear if the Centuries was specifically subject to American sanctions. Venezuela, which holds the world's largest oil reserves, relies heavily on oil exports for revenue.
The seizure marks a significant intensification of US sanctions enforcement and raises the spectre of further confrontation in a region already fraught with political and economic instability.
