The United States has announced fresh sanctions targeting six additional ships accused of transporting Venezuelan oil, a day after American forces intercepted and seized a tanker near the country’s coast.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the detained vessel, Skipper, had been engaged in “illicit oil shipping” and would be taken to a US port following legal proceedings. Caracas has condemned the raid, describing it as an act of “international piracy.”
The new sanctions also extend to relatives of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and several businesses linked to what Washington continues to label an “illegitimate regime.”
The escalation marks the latest phase of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign, which has included expanded naval deployments in the Caribbean and lethal strikes on boats alleged to be smuggling narcotics from Venezuela.
US officials accuse the Maduro government of funnelling drugs into the United States an allegation Venezuela rejects, countering that Washington is attempting to seize its resources.
Maduro, responding to the seizure on Thursday, vowed that Venezuela would never become an “oil colony.”
He accused the US of “kidnapping” the Skipper’s crew and “stealing” the vessel, calling the raid further evidence of “criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello also lashed out at Washington, labelling US forces “murderers, thieves, pirates,” and accusing the US of using similar tactics to spark conflicts globally.
Despite Venezuela’s protests, Leavitt said the administration remained committed to “stopping the flow of illegal drugs” and enforcing sanctions.
She declined to say whether more vessels carrying Venezuelan crude were on the US seizure list.
“We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil the proceeds of which fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes,” she said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later announced sanctions on three nephews of Maduro’s wife, along with several companies and vessels.
He said the measures were aimed at weakening Maduro’s “dictatorial and brutal control.”
The Skipper was previously sanctioned in 2022 for alleged involvement in smuggling operations said to have generated revenue for Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
The latest operation followed a significant US military buildup in the Caribbean in recent days, including the deployment of thousands of troops and the positioning of the USS Gerald Ford the world’s largest aircraft carrier within range of Venezuela.
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On Wednesday, the White House released video footage showing US troops fast-roping from a helicopter onto the deck of the Skipper, weapons drawn, during the raid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin contacted Maduro earlier on Thursday to express Moscow’s support amid the increased US pressure.
Asked about the call, Leavitt said President Trump was not concerned “at all.”