CARIBBEAN SEA — The United States Coast Guard, backed by the Department of War, seized a Panama-flagged oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela early Saturday, in the second such maritime interception in two weeks.
The vessel, identified as the Centuries, was suspected of carrying sanctioned Venezuelan crude oil from state-owned PDVSA, according to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Venezuela’s Response:
The Venezuelan government condemned the seizure as “theft and kidnapping,” vowing that those responsible would “answer to justice and to history.” Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez accused the U.S. of waging “a battle against lies, manipulation, and military threats.”
Background & Military Presence:
The interception follows President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of a blockade against sanctioned vessels to and from Venezuela. The U.S. currently has 11 warships deployed in the Caribbean as part of a campaign targeting drug trafficking and enforcing sanctions against the Maduro regime.
The incident occurred amid a South American summit where regional leaders clashed over Venezuela, with Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warning of a potential “humanitarian catastrophe” and Argentina’s Javier Milei endorsing U.S. pressure.
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Disclaimer: This report is based on statements from U.S. and Venezuelan officials. The legal and diplomatic implications are ongoing.
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