US seizes oil tanker off Venezuelan coast VIDEO

A US-led operation has detained an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on the social network X, according to Caliber.Az.

“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,” Noem posted.

“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,” the secretary wrote.

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.

The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025

The action enforces President Donald Trump's December 17 directive for a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, part of a broader campaign accusing the Nicolás Maduro regime of funding "narco-terrorism" through illicit oil sales.

Venezuelan authorities strongly condemned the move as "theft," "hijacking," and an "act of international piracy," vowing complaints to the UN and warning of retaliation, while denying any illicit activity. The seizures have effectively disrupted Venezuelan crude exports, with multiple loaded tankers remaining anchored in Venezuelan waters to avoid risks, contributing to short-term oil price fluctuations.

By Khagan Isayev