The United States has carried out a second maritime interdiction near Venezuela’s coast this month. On Saturday, U.S. forces stopped an oil tanker in international waters off Venezuela in a pre-dawn operation, marking the second such action in less than two weeks. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the intervention and said U.S. Coast Guard personnel, with Department of Defense support, were involved. The vessel, which had last docked in Venezuela and was flying a Panama flag, allowed U.S. personnel to board after it stopped, and officials described the boarding as consensual. It was not immediately clear whether this tanker was on the U.S. sanctions list. 

This incident follows a December 10 seizure of a separate tanker named Skipper by U.S. authorities in international waters off Venezuela’s coast. That earlier vessel had been subject to U.S. sanctions for its alleged role in transporting oil linked to sanctioned networks. 

Both actions come amid a broader U.S. pressure campaign targeting Venezuelan oil exports. Earlier in the week, President Donald Trump ordered a “blockade” of all oil tankers subject to U.S. sanctions entering or leaving Venezuelan ports. The campaign also includes increased military presence by the U.S. in the Caribbean region and a series of strikes on vessels the administration says are connected to drug trafficking. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has criticized these measures and accused the U.S. of trying to weaken his government and seize control of the country’s oil resources. 

The U.S. operations have disrupted tanker movements and are aimed at enforcing sanctions and curbing what U.S. officials describe as illicit financial support tied to Venezuelan oil shipments. Venezuelan oil export levels have declined sharply since the early December seizure, as many tankers have remained in Venezuelan waters to avoid interdiction. 

Sources: CNN, AP News, Reuters, Al Jazeera