WILLEMSTAD — The United States has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea that it says has links to Venezuela, marking the sixth such interception in recent weeks as part of an intensified campaign to enforce its naval blockade on Venezuelan oil exports under President Donald Trump.
U.S. Southern Command confirmed that forces boarded the Motor Tanker Veronica, a vessel previously connected to Venezuela’s crude trade, in an early-morning operation. The military operation, involving U.S. Coast Guard personnel and support from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, took place without reported incident. According to U.S. officials, the ship had been operating in violation of the U.S. “quarantine” on sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean
This latest seizure comes just days before a scheduled meeting between President Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House, underscoring how U.S. energy and foreign policy toward Venezuela remains at the forefront of Washington’s agenda.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to exert control over Venezuela’s oil resources following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month during a U.S. security operation. Maduro and his inner circle are now in U.S. custody, and the blockade aims to cut off oil exports to markets that have continued to receive Venezuelan crude despite longstanding sanctions.
U.S. officials say these actions are aimed at enforcing international sanctions and preventing sanctioned oil from reaching global markets — particularly through a so-called “shadow fleet” of vessels that have been suspected of obscuring their origins or cargoes to avoid detection. However, critics have raised legal and geopolitical concerns about the blockade and its implications for maritime law and regional stability.
President Trump has publicly tied his administration’s approach to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves with broader economic and geopolitical aims, including talks with major oil executives about potential investment in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry. Observers say that control over oil flows could play a central role in shaping the country’s economic future.
The U.S. seizure of the Veronica reinforces Washington’s assertive posture in the Caribbean and Latin America and highlights how energy security and regional diplomacy intersect as Venezuela’s political transition remains underway.