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The US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker escalates regional tensions and threatens Chinese economic interests. Maduro faces intense pressure while Trump’s military actions spark global scrutiny and risk destabilizing South America amid growing geopolitical conflicts.
US Operation Against Venezuelan Oil Tanker
New Delhi: Seizing of Venezuela oil tanker by United States off the coast of Venezuela has potential spilling over in South America. The seizure of Oil Tanker was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy. The entire operation was conducted under the supervision of U.S. law enforcement authority.
Seizing of Venezuela oil tanker seems to be US President Donald Trump’s latest push to increase pressure on Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro to step down. United States administration has charged Maduro with narcoterrorism.
The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean and launched several strikes against drug-smuggling boats. Tensions mount in the entire region. However, the entire US campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.
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While justifying the seizure of Oil Tanker Trump told reporters at the White House, “We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized. It was seized for a very good reason.”
Venezuela's government has criticised the US and said in a statement that the seizure "constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy. Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed."
The U.S. official identified the seized tanker as the Skipper. The ship was carrying 2 million barrels of heavy crude, roughly half of it belonging to a Cuban state-run oil importer, according to documents from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA.
Nicolas Maduro
According to ship tracking data the Skipper was previously known as the M/T Adisa. According to US sources Adisa was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over accusations of belonging to a sophisticated network of shadow tankers that smuggled crude oil on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.
PDVSA is the backbone of Venezuela’s economy as it supplies crude oil to various countries. Venezuela produces about one million barrels of crude oil every day. Maduro told his supporters that the country is "prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary."
The seizure of oil tanker comes a day after the U.S. military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela. Trump said that the land attacks are coming soon but has not specified the time.
Trump might be showcasing his power to Venezuela but at home his administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign, which killed at least 87 people in 22 known strikes since early September.
The follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit has come under scrutiny from legal experts and Democrats. They are of the opinion that this action may have violated the international laws governing the use of deadly military force.
The chief foreign policy adviser to Brazil’s president Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, “US invasion or attack on Venezuela could plunge South America into a Vietnam-style conflict.”
Donald Trump’s recent decision to close Venezuelan air space is being considered as an act of war by diplomats. Most of the international airlines have halted flights to Venezuela after Trump declared the country’s airspace closed.
Trump’s four-month pressure campaign against Maduro’s regime continued to escalate. There are speculations that Trump can order strikes inside Venezuela to topple Maduro by provoking a military rebellion against him.
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Escalation with Venezuela could push the trade war to a new level as China has become one of the main consumers of Venezuelan oil. In 2024, China bought around 268,000 barrels of crude oil from Venezuela on average every day.
Beijing has been attempting to diversify its sources of natural resources from Middle East to retain its global advantage in cheap manufacturing. US intervention may challenge Chinese interests prompting spill over of geo-political crisis.
