US sanctions six more ships as Venezuela slams tanker seizure as ‘piracy’

The Trump administration has ramped up its pressure campaign on Caracas, targeting President Maduro’s inner circle and seizing a vessel accused of illicit oil shipping in a move Venezuela has branded “criminal naval piracy.”

The United States just slapped sanctions on six more ships supposedly hauling Venezuelan oil, coming less than 24 hours after US military forces seized a tanker off Venezuela’s coast. The dramatic move escalated further when the Treasury Department also went after three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s wife, plus several businesses Washington says are tied to his “illegitimate regime.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the seized vessel, called the Skipper, was involved in “illicit oil shipping” and is now being taken to an American port. The US government plans to seize the oil on board once they finish the legal process.

The crackdown came right after some pretty dramatic video footage dropped on Wednesday showing camouflaged US soldiers rappelling from a helicopter onto the Skipper’s deck and securing it with weapons drawn. The ship had already been sanctioned back in 2022 for supposedly helping smuggling operations that generated money for Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

This is all part of a bigger military buildup in the Caribbean. Over the last few days, the US has positioned thousands of troops and the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, within striking distance of Venezuela. Officially, they say it’s to stop illegal drugs.

“We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world,” Leavitt told reporters.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the administration is “holding the regime and its circle of cronies and companies accountable for its continued crimes” and “dictatorial and brutal control.”

Caracas is furious. President Maduro accused the US of having “kidnapped the crew” and “stolen” the ship. “They have ushered in a new era… The era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean,” he said in a televised speech.

This seizure marks a serious escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration claims Venezuela is funneling drugs into the US, while Venezuela, which sits on some of the world’s biggest oil reserves, says Washington just wants to steal its resources.

The diplomatic fallout is already spreading. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Maduro to offer Moscow’s support “in the face of growing external pressure.” When asked about the call, the White House said President Trump wouldn’t be concerned “at all.”

Leavitt wouldn’t confirm whether more ship seizures are coming, but she made clear the US is committed to enforcing sanctions. With American warships patrolling the region and recent strikes on alleged “drug boats” that killed dozens of people, fears of a direct military confrontation keep growing.