U.S. Escalates Maritime Pressure on Venezuela’s Shadow Oil Fleet

U.S. officials have reported that the administration is moving toward more assertive maritime interdictions targeting Venezuela’s sanctions-evading crude trade. This shift follows recent operations in international waters, during which U.S. Coast Guard and Navy personnel seized the tanker Skipper.

The seizure targeted vessels allegedly transporting sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian crude oil. President Trump confirmed the action at the White House, stating that the ship was “illegally moving oil tied to sanctioned networks.” He also indicated that the United States would retain the cargo of the seized vessel. The Skipper’s captain, an Iranian national, has been detained and is expected to face sanctions-related charges.

U.S. officials have stated that Venezuela has expanded its use of a “shadow fleet” of tankers registered under opaque shell companies to circumvent international sanctions. Venezuelan authorities condemned the seizure as piracy, accusing Washington of violating international maritime law and claiming the tanker had departed Venezuelan waters legally. They asserted the operation aimed to suffocate an economy heavily dependent on oil exports.

The U.S. strategy involves intercepting tankers before they reach offshore buyers. Federal investigators are reviewing ownership records, cargo histories, and navigation patterns of vessels linked to Venezuela and Iran to identify those subject to seizure under sanctions authorities. Critics warn that the military buildup near Venezuelan waters combined with oil tanker seizures carries clear overtones of U.S. imperialism and may signal an effort to engineer political outcomes in Caracas.