The United States has widened its pressure on Venezuela by placing sanctions on six more ships said to be transporting the country’s oil, a day after American forces seized a tanker near the Venezuelan coast.
The move adds to rising tensions between Washington and Caracas as both sides trade sharp accusations over oil shipments, drug trafficking and control of regional waters.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the detained vessel, named the Skipper, had been involved in “illicit oil shipping” and would be taken to an American port. She said the action was part of ongoing efforts to curb activities linked to what Washington views as President Nicolás Maduro’s illegitimate rule.
Caracas has condemned the seizure, describing it as an act of “international piracy”.
The dispute marks one of the strongest steps yet in the US campaign against Maduro. In recent months, American warships have moved into the region, and earlier operations have led to deadly strikes on boats suspected of moving drugs out of Venezuela.
The Trump administration has long accused the country of sending narcotics into the US, while Venezuelan officials say Washington is attempting to seize its natural resources. Maduro on Wednesday insisted Venezuela would never become an “oil colony”.
Leavitt said on Thursday that the US remained focused on “stopping the flow of illegal drugs” into the country while also enforcing sanctions. She declined to say whether more ships carrying Venezuelan oil could be targeted next, but stressed that Washington would not allow banned vessels to operate freely.
“We're not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world,” she said. She added that the US planned to confiscate the Skipper’s oil after completing the required legal steps.
Leavitt also noted that Trump was not troubled by news that Russian President Vladimir Putin had called Maduro earlier in the day to express support “in the face of growing external pressure”.
Later, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions on three nephews of Maduro’s wife, as well as several companies and ships said to be tied to the Venezuelan leader. He said the measures were aimed at countering what he described as Maduro’s “dictatorial and brutal control”.
In a post on X, he added that the administration was “holding the regime and its circle of cronies and companies accountable for its continued crimes”.
The White House on Wednesday released video of the raid on the Skipper showing armed troops descending from a helicopter onto the vessel and securing its deck. Venezuelan officials have reacted strongly to the images, accusing the US of aggression and theft. Maduro said the crew had been “kidnapped” and the ship “stolen”.
“They have ushered in a new era,” he said in a Thursday speech. “The era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean.” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello also lashed out, calling the US “murderers, thieves, pirates” and saying this was the same behaviour that had “started wars all over the world”.
According to reports, the Skipper had already been sanctioned in 2022 for alleged oil smuggling activities linked to Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Ahead of the latest raid, the US had strengthened its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, positioning thousands of troops along with the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, within reach of Venezuela.
