Venezuelan Maduro in South America Tests the U.S. With a “Plan B” Oil Tanker Strategy
Venezuelan González Urrutia Thanks Panamanian President Mulino for Keeping Venezuela ‘As An Ever-Present Cause’
José Raúl Mulino speaks with Edmundo González Urrutia on the eve of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for María Corina Machado.
Above is the Super Jumbo Tanker ‘Centuries‘
Venezuela is testing President Trump’s blockade of sanctioned oil tankers by letting two crude-laden vessels motor out from the South American nation’s ports — including one with a military escort. Neither tanker has been sanctioned by the U.S., so technically they’re not running Trump’s blockade. Why it matters: This newest cat-and-mouse game between Trump and Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro is heightening the tension in the Caribbean. Millions of barrels of oil are at stake — a military conflict seems likelier than ever.
US Forces are Pursuing an Oil Tanker Bound for Venezuela, According to Media Reports
The United States, which on Tuesday announced a naval blockade around Venezuela against oil tankers under sanctions, has already seized two vessels accused of transporting Venezuelan crude.
Venezuela: US forces pursued an oil tanker approaching Venezuela in the Caribbean waters on Sunday, as part of Washington’s blockade against crude tankers linked to Caracas, local US media reported. The vessel was identified by these media outlets as the Bella 1 oil tanker, which has been under US sanctions since 2024 for its links to Iran and Hezbollah. According to the TankerTrackers website, it was en route to Venezuela and was not carrying cargo. “The U.S. Coast Guard is actively pursuing a sanctioned vessel that is involved in Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion. It is flying a false flag and is subject to a court-ordered seizure,” a U.S. official told NBC on condition of anonymity.
The New York Times said that U.S. forces approached on Saturday night and tried to intercept it after obtaining a warrant from a federal judge, but the vessel continued on its route. The United States, which on Tuesday announced a naval blockade around Venezuela against oil tankers under sanctions, has already seized two vessels accused of transporting Venezuelan crude. The last one was intercepted on Saturday by the US Coast Guard during an operation described by Caracas as “robbery and kidnapping”.
