Coast Guard Leads New Seizure as Trump Tightens Noose on Maduro’s Regime [WATCH]

The United States intercepted and seized a vessel in international waters near Venezuela, marking the second such operation in recent weeks as pressure continues to mount on the Maduro regime, according to multiple reports published Saturday.

The U.S. Coast Guard led the interdiction with assistance from other branches of the U.S. military, American officials told CNN.

The operation took place in international waters off Venezuela’s coast and follows a similar seizure conducted earlier this month.

The latest action comes on the heels of a December 10 seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker operating near Venezuelan waters.

It also occurred just days after President Donald Trump announced a sweeping blockade targeting all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to or from Venezuela.

In announcing the blockade on Tuesday, Trump designated the ruling Venezuelan regime as a foreign terrorist organization and accused it of using stolen oil resources to finance criminal activity.

“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”

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Following the December 10 seizure, Trump was asked what the United States would do with the confiscated oil.

He responded, “Well, we keep it, I guess.”

The vessel seized this week represents the second confirmed interdiction tied to Trump’s expanded enforcement posture toward Venezuela.

U.S. officials have not publicly released details about the ship’s cargo or ownership, but the operation aligns with the administration’s stated intent to aggressively enforce sanctions against the Maduro government.

The seizures come after months of steadily escalating U.S. military and diplomatic pressure on Venezuela.

In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.

The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025

American armed forces have increased their presence in the southern Caribbean, particularly in waters off Venezuela’s coast, where they have conducted numerous operations targeting drug smuggling vessels.

That buildup has fueled speculation about a broader confrontation between the United States and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, including the possibility of intensified efforts to force him from power.

In late November, Trump reportedly offered Maduro a deal that would have allowed him and his family to leave Venezuela safely in exchange for vacating office.

The offer was not accepted.

The pressure campaign intensified further in August, when the United States announced a $50 million bounty on Maduro, the largest amount ever offered for a sitting head of state.

In his Truth Social post announcing the blockade, Trump warned that U.S. naval forces surrounding Venezuela would continue to expand.

“The Armada surrounding the illegitimate Maduro Regime will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before,” Trump wrote.

He also demanded that the regime “return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us.”

Despite the blockade announcement and recent interdictions, the Maduro government has continued exporting oil.

Reuters reported that on Thursday, Venezuela dispatched two non-sanctioned vessels carrying oil to China.

The continued shipments suggest that while the U.S. blockade is focused on sanctioned tankers, the Maduro regime is still attempting to move oil through vessels not currently subject to U.S. sanctions.

The Biden-era approach to Venezuela, which relied more heavily on limited sanctions relief and diplomatic engagement, has now been fully replaced by Trump’s renewed strategy of economic isolation, maritime enforcement, and direct pressure on the regime’s financial lifelines.

U.S. officials have not indicated whether additional interdictions are imminent, but Trump’s statements and the recent increase in military operations signal that enforcement actions are expected to continue as part of the administration’s broader effort to cut off funding sources for the Maduro regime.

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