US forces intercepted a second merchant ship carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday. The move comes as tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to grow. The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed the action and said the vessel was stopped in international waters as part of the American blockade on Venezuelan oil.
This interception followed a similar operation earlier this month. On December 10, US forces seized another oil tanker near Venezuela’s coast. According to the Department of Homeland Security, both ships were headed toward Asian markets.
Vessel details and location
The British maritime risk management firm Vanguard told Reuters that the ship was likely the Panama-flagged Centuries. It was intercepted east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea. Reports also noted that the vessel does not appear on the US sanctions list.
Because the ship was not formally sanctioned, the move suggests a stronger US approach to enforcing its oil blockade. US officials have warned that any vessel transporting Venezuelan oil could face action. Washington has also been expanding its list of sanctioned ships in recent months.
‘Pre-dawn action’ by US agencies
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the operation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. She said the US Coast Guard and the Department of Defence stopped the tanker early Saturday morning 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,” Noem said. “We will find you, and we will stop you,” she wrote.
US officials said the first tanker seized earlier this month was already under sanctions. The White House described it as a “sanctioned shadow vessel known for carrying black-market sanctioned oil”.
Rising risk of conflict
The latest interception comes at a sensitive time. US President Donald Trump and his administration have not ruled out the possibility of open conflict with Venezuela. The tougher actions at sea highlight the growing strain between the two countries.
In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged the country’s navy to escort oil tankers. He has also encouraged efforts to challenge what Venezuela describes as the largest US naval deployment in the region in decades.
Venezuela accuses US of piracy
After the first tanker was seized, the Venezuelan government strongly condemned the move. In an official statement, it accused the US of “blatant theft” and called the action “an act of international piracy”.
Trump also addressed the issue in an interview with NBC News on Friday. He said military action against Maduro’s government remains a possibility. “I don’t rule it out, no,” he said during a phone interview.