The Trump administration escalated its confrontation with Venezuela on Wednesday by seizing a massive oil tanker that was carrying crude to Cuba. The move marks one of the most aggressive steps yet in the administration’s effort to weaken Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by hitting the country’s main source of revenue.
Officials say the strategy is aimed at cutting off the money that sustains Maduro and those around him. Until now, the campaign has focused mostly on military strikes against boats suspected of trafficking drugs, but the underlying goal has been to pressure the regime in Caracas. Trump said the seized vessel was the largest tanker ever taken by the U.S. government and hinted that more actions were coming soon, saying, “We keep it, I guess.”
The tanker was targeted because it appeared on the Treasury Department’s list of sanctioned entities, carrying oil linked to both Venezuela and Iran. According to industry sources, it was a VLCC, a type of supertanker capable of transporting up to 320,000 tons of crude. Details of the operation remain vague, and administration officials did not immediately comment.
The seizure also puts pressure on Cuba, a close ally of Maduro and a long-standing adversary of the United States. Cuba is known to sell Venezuelan crude on the black market, mainly to Asian buyers that supply China. Insiders say the trade is managed by a grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro. In exchange for shared profits, Cuba provides intelligence and security services that help Maduro maintain power.
Energy experts note that U.S. restrictions on American companies in Venezuela have pushed much of the country’s oil into the hands of China, which is buying it at a steep discount. Chevron is the only U.S. company still allowed to lift Venezuelan oil, though in limited quantities.
Advisers from Trump’s first administration had previously encouraged him to seize one of Venezuela’s tankers, but the idea was rejected at the time. Now, during his second term, Trump has adopted a more forceful approach toward Maduro, largely shaped by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Some of those involved in advising the administration view the tanker seizure as a smarter, more targeted tactic than earlier strikes on smaller vessels.
According to one source, Trump privately suggested over the weekend that he was preparing to turn up the pressure on Maduro, saying, “Be ready, things are happening fast.”
Is the United States moving closer to a larger conflict, or is this simply another step in a broader economic pressure strategy?