U.S. chases third oil tanker, tightening Venezuela maritime restrictions
U.S. authorities intensified a maritime blockade off Venezuela on December 10‑12, intercepting three oil tankers. Coast Guard forces chased the U.S.‑sanctioned Bella 1 on Sunday, boarded the Hong Kong‑owned Centuries on Saturday, and seized the very large crude carrier Skipper on the 10th. All vessels were traveling toward Venezuelan ports.
The actions target vessels carrying crude that may support President Nicolás Maduro’s government, according to U.S. officials. Washington argues that the blockade will reduce hard‑currency inflows and pressure a regime it designates a foreign terrorist organization and a drug‑trafficking cartel.
Venezuela’s state‑owned PDVSA ships most of its export cargoes, primarily to China, often using dark‑fleet tankers with opaque ownership. Since January 2019, U.S. Treasury sanctions have limited the sale of Venezuelan oil, although the country’s production briefly reached the 1.2 million barrels‑per‑day goal announced by Vice‑President Delcy Rodriguez earlier this month after a prior drop to roughly 400,000 barrels following the 2019 sanctions.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the blockade will remain “in full force” as of December 20, while a White House spokesperson noted that the Centuries was flying a false flag and carried sanctioned oil.
Regional leaders have issued varied statements: Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador called for democratic processes in Venezuela, whereas Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned against foreign military intervention.