The United States has announced new sanctions on six additional ships allegedly transporting Venezuela oil, just one day after seizing a tanker near the country’s coastline.
Washington has also sanctioned several relatives of President Nicolás Maduro and businesses tied to what the US calls his illegitimate regime.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the seized tanker, known as the Skipper, was involved in “illicit oil shipping” and will be moved to a US port.
Venezuela condemned the action, labelling it “international piracy.”
Escalating US Pressure
The move marks a sharp rise in Washington’s pressure campaign against Maduro. The US has carried out dozens of deadly strikes on vessels it claims were involved in drug trafficking, while American naval forces have significantly increased their presence in the region.
The Trump administration accuses Venezuela of sending narcotics into the US, while Caracas argues Washington is attempting to steal its natural resources. Maduro insisted Venezuela would never become an “oil colony.”
Leavitt said the US remains committed to stopping illegal drug routes and enforcing sanctions, but did not say whether more oil tankers will be seized.
“We’re not going to stand by and let sanctioned vessels move black market oil that finances narco-terrorism,” she said, adding that the US plans to confiscate the oil onboard the Skipper once legal steps are completed.
Russia Responds as US Adds More Sanctions
Leavitt also said Trump was “not concerned” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had phoned Maduro to express support amid rising international pressure.
Later, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions on three nephews of Maduro’s wife, along with several companies and ships. He said these measures target Maduro’s “dictatorial and brutal control.”
In a post on X, Bessent wrote that the administration is holding the regime and its “cronies and companies accountable.”
Footage Shows Dramatic Seizure
The White House released video footage showing camouflaged US soldiers fast-roping from a helicopter onto the Skipper, their weapons drawn as they secured the deck.
Maduro strongly condemned the operation, accusing the US of “kidnapping” the crew and “stealing” the ship.
“They have ushered in a new era — the era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean,” he said.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called the US “murderers, thieves, pirates,” claiming this is how the US “started wars all over the world.”
Background on the Skipper and US Naval Build-Up
The Skipper was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2022 for allegedly participating in oil smuggling that funded Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Before the raid, the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, deploying thousands of personnel and positioning the USS Gerald Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrier — within range of Venezuela.