WASHINGTON – The United States has escalated its campaign of pressure against Venezuela with a new round of sanctions targeting three nephews of President Nicolás Maduro and six oil tankers involved in transporting Venezuelan crude. The measures, reported by Reuters, come at a moment of sharply rising tensions in the southern Caribbean—adjacent to the ABC islands—where U.S. military activity has visibly increased in recent weeks.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the sanctioned vessels—including the Panama-flagged H. Constance and Lattafa—are allegedly engaged in “deceptive and unsafe shipping practices” that generate revenue for what Washington describes as “Maduro’s corrupt narco-terrorist regime.” All six tankers recently carried Venezuelan crude oil.
Second major escalation in two days
The sanctions follow just one day after the United States seized a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil—an unprecedented action executed with support from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and FBI. Experts warn that targeting six additional tankers could create a legal foundation for more vessel seizures, substantially increasing the risk for shipping companies still willing to transport Venezuelan oil despite existing sanctions.
Regional tensions rise
The geopolitical climate in the southern Caribbean is becoming increasingly volatile. Washington has expanded its military footprint near Venezuela’s maritime borders, operating in waters not far from Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. This surge in activity has coincided with U.S. drone flights, naval patrols, and reconnaissance missions as part of its ongoing anti-narcotics campaign.
The Venezuelan government has responded forcefully, rejecting all allegations and accusing the United States of using sanctions and military pressure to pursue regime change and seize control of the country’s vast oil reserves—widely considered the largest in the world.
Maduro strikes defiant tone
During a public appearance in the Pinto Salinas neighborhood of Caracas on Thursday, President Maduro dismissed the latest sanctions, saying earlier measures had not broken the will of the Venezuelan people.
“We will not fail. No one will fail,” Maduro declared, insisting the nation would withstand the increased pressure.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials have signaled that additional tanker operations and enforcement actions are already being prepared, underscoring that the standoff between Washington and Caracas is far from over.
As American naval presence grows near the Dutch Caribbean, regional governments—including Curaçao—continue to monitor the situation closely, wary of being drawn into a confrontation unfolding at their maritime doorstep.