The United States has taken control of an oil tanker that recently left Venezuelan waters, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed, marking the second such seizure this month.
The action follows President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that Washington would impose what he described as a “blockade” on oil tankers subject to US sanctions travelling to and from Venezuela.
Caracas has condemned the operation, accusing the US of “theft and kidnapping” and warning that the incident would have consequences. In a statement, the Venezuelan government said it would raise the matter at the UN Security Council and with other international bodies, insisting the seizure violated international norms.
As with an earlier operation this month, the tanker was intercepted by the US Coast Guard in international waters. A specialist boarding team secured the vessel, according to US officials.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees the Coast Guard, released footage of the operation on social media. The video shows helicopters landing on a ship identified as Centuries.
The vessel is registered in Panama, although maritime records indicate it has operated under Greek and Liberian flags in recent years. It does not appear on the US Treasury Department’s list of sanctioned ships.
The seizure comes amid a broader US military build-up in the Caribbean. In recent weeks, American forces have carried out lethal operations against boats alleged to be involved in Venezuelan drug trafficking, resulting in around 100 deaths. US authorities have not publicly presented evidence linking those vessels to narcotics smuggling, prompting growing scrutiny from members of Congress.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel de los Soles, an allegation he has repeatedly denied. Mr Trump has claimed that Venezuela’s oil revenues are being used to fund criminal activities, including drug trafficking and human smuggling.
Following the latest seizure, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US would continue maritime interdiction efforts aimed at dismantling illicit networks, declaring that “violence, drugs and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere”.
Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, relies heavily on crude exports to support state finances. The latest interception occurred less than a week after US authorities seized another tanker believed to be part of a so-called “ghost fleet” operating to evade sanctions.
President Maduro has previously described such actions as acts of piracy, accusing Washington of abducting crews and unlawfully confiscating vessels.
