On Thursday, January 15th, the U.S. military launched another lightning law enforcement operation against a Venezuelan illegal oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) released a military action video capturing a intercepted Venezuelan oil tanker, marking the sixth tanker seized so far. On the same day, U.S. President Trump will meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maduro at the White House.
The footage shows U.S. special forces rapidly descending onto the deck of the “Tanker Veronica” in the darkness before dawn, successfully carrying out the sixth recent oil tanker seizure operation. This move is seen as a strong demonstration of the United States’ comprehensive substantive takeover of Venezuelan oil exports.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the recent intensive interception operations by the U.S. aim to thoroughly dismantle the “Dark Fleet” comprised of vessels from sanctioned countries. These ships often conceal their origins and transport oil to markets such as China.
Maritime intelligence agency Windward analysis indicates that with the U.S. implementing a “Quarantine” blockade, the planned oil route to China has been blocked, causing Venezuela’s crude oil loading volume in January to plummet to half of normal levels.
The Southern Command stated in a declaration, “Only oil that has been properly and legally coordinated can leave Venezuela.” To demonstrate their determination to combat the “Dark Fleet,” the U.S. military launched a transatlantic pursuit last week, seizing an oil tanker escorted by a Russian submarine, leading to discontent from the Russian side.
This seizure operation occurred just before the meeting between Trump and Maria Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday. Since the U.S. military raided and arrested Maduro on January 3rd, Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. will “indefinitely” take control of Venezuela’s oil resources to rebuild the country’s crumbling energy industry.
Despite Trump previously calling Machado a “freedom fighter,” Reuters revealed that Trump is currently not inclined to support her leadership in Venezuela. According to a confidential assessment presented to Trump by the CIA, the U.S. believes that “Maduro officials,” including acting president Delcy Rodriguez, are more capable of maintaining the status quo and oil production.
Geopolitical analysts point out that this series of enforcement actions is a manifestation of Trump’s “peace through strength” strategy. The naval power and surveillance network required to seize oil tankers are part of the “Global Absolute Deterrence” that is a key investment in his $1.5 trillion defense budget. The U.S. is collaborating with the Venezuelan state oil company (PDVSA) to receive and sell backlog of crude oil, ensuring that control over resources firmly remains in Washington’s hands.