The U.S. has been pursuing a Venezuelan oil tanker since Sunday as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on the Venezuelan regime.
So far, the U.S. has seized two oil tankers near Venezuela’s coast after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade in the region.
From CNN:
The US is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry.
The tanker, called Bella 1, was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil. It is under US sanctions for links to Iranian oil. American officials view it as part of the shadow fleet that transports oil from sanctioned nations, and a warrant had been issued for its seizure.
When US Coast Guard personnel attempted to board the ship, however, the vessel kept sailing, the official said, leading to the pursuit.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation.
“The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” a second US official said. “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
It was the second operation in the same number of days meant to interdict tankers tied to Venezuelan oil. On Saturday, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in international waters, a U.S. official told CBS News, as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targets of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. https://t.co/rLz5ejJeWc pic.twitter.com/w6XiDfFmsn
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 22, 2025
The U.S. has sanctioned dozens of Venezuelan vessels that carry oil and other resources to the Iranian and Chinese regimes since 2020. The Trump administration has escalated the effort by seizing these tankers.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN the tanker is transporting sanctioned oil even though it is not among the vessels facing sanctions.
The US Guard is pursuing another oil tanker off Venezuela as it enforces a blockade on sanctioned vessels. AJ Bell’s Russ Mould says while that's given some support to oil prices, the impact will be limited pic.twitter.com/dFv5rfqabq
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 22, 2025
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Saturday that the U.S. Coast Guard apprehended the second tanker in a “pre-dawn action.”
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you,” she added.
In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025
The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc
The Trump administration’s blockade of “sanctioned oil tankers” is an effort to pressure Nicolás Maduro’s government which is accused of smuggling dangerous narcotics into the United States. The White House claims the tankers are part of a “shadow fleet” moving sanctioned Venezeulan and Iranian oil to be used to fund drug trafficking, terrorism, and other illicit activities.