Following tanker seizure US sanctions six additional vessels

 

 

 

 

The United States has dramatically escalated its confrontation with Nicolás Maduro’s regime, slapping fresh sanctions on six additional vessels accused of moving Venezuelan oil—just one day after U.S. forces carried out a helicopter-borne raid to seize a tanker, the Skipper, off Venezuela’s coast. The Biden administration—now openly describing Maduro’s circle as an “illegitimate regime”—has also targeted members of the Venezuelan leader’s extended family and a cluster of businesses allegedly tied to oil smuggling and narcotics financing.

 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Skipper was deeply involved in “illicit oil shipping” and confirmed the vessel will be transported to an American port after legal formalities. She refused to say whether more seizures were imminent but warned that Washington would no longer “stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil,” insisting that these shipments fuel “narco-terrorism” and empower rogue states worldwide.

 

Caracas erupted in fury, branding the action “international piracy.” Maduro went further, accusing Washington of “kidnapping” the crew, “stealing” the ship, and “ushering in a new era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean.” Venezuela’s powerful Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called the U.S. “murderers, thieves, pirates,” insisting the operation follows a familiar American pattern of provoking conflicts across the globe.

 

The sanction blitz also expands to three nephews of Maduro’s wife, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arguing that the new measures strike at the core of the president’s “dictatorial and brutal control.” He vowed that the administration will hold Maduro’s “cronies and companies accountable” for “continued crimes.”

 

The White House, attempting to justify its unprecedented maritime action, released dramatic video footage of special operations forces descending from a helicopter onto the Skipper, weapons drawn, securing the deck before taking control of the ship. According to CBS, the vessel was sanctioned in 2022 for involvement in oil smuggling schemes that allegedly generated revenue for Hezbollah and Iran’s Quds Force.

 

The operation did not occur in isolation. The U.S. had surged military firepower into the Caribbean in the days beforehand, deploying thousands of personnel and positioning the USS Gerald R. Ford—the world’s largest aircraft carrier—within operational reach of the Venezuelan coast. The show of force underscores Washington’s increasing willingness to confront Maduro directly on the high seas, a strategy that has already involved lethal strikes on alleged drug-running vessels.

 

Maduro, meanwhile, claimed an early lifeline from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned Caracas to offer support “in the face of growing external pressure.” Leavitt dismissed concerns, saying President Trump would not be troubled “at all” by Russia backing Maduro.

The episode marks one of the most volatile flashpoints in U.S.–Venezuela relations in years—an escalation blending narcotics accusations, oil smuggling networks, military deployments, and a rapidly widening sanctions regime. Both sides now accuse the other of piracy, aggression, and criminality, raising fears that a spiralling confrontation in the Caribbean could spill into a broader geopolitical clash.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. U.S. forces seized the Venezuelan-linked tanker Skipper and sanctioned six more ships, plus Maduro family members and businesses.

2. Venezuela accuses Washington of “piracy” and “kidnapping,” while the U.S. vows to choke off illicit oil and narcotics revenue.

3. The U.S. placed the USS Gerald R. Ford near Venezuela, signalling a major escalation that now includes Russian involvement.

 

SOURCE: BBC

 

 

They do it to Venezuela because they don't have the backbone to attempt to do the same with Russia.