US says it intercepted second tanker in Venezuela blockade

Patricia Garip, Eric Martin, Bloomberg News on Dec 20, 2025

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The U.S. Coast Guard stopped and boarded an oil tanker in the Caribbean early Saturday that was last docked in Venezuela, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade.

The Centuries supertanker laden with up to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude was flying a Panamanian flag, according to people familiar with the matter. A Chinese company holds title to the oil, the people added.

This marks the second tanker interdicted this month by U.S. personnel. But unlike the first vessel, which was interdicted on Dec. 10, Centuries didn’t previously appear on U.S. sanctions lists or notices.

Noem said in a post on social media that the Defense Department assisted in the “pre-dawn” operation.

On Dec 10, the Trump administration detained the Skipper, which had last called at a Venezuelan port and was described by U.S. officials as a “stateless vessel” sanctioned for allegedly participating in “an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”

Trump has been stepping up pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government as he aims to choke off a key revenue stream for Venezuela. He also designated the Maduro government as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing it of involvement in drug trafficking.

The newest incident may further inflame tensions with Venezuela. Trump said he doesn’t rule out a war with Venezuela, NBC reported on Friday, citing a phone interview with the president. When asked if U.S. military strikes could lead to a war, he said “I don’t discuss it.”

The Defense Department referred requests for comment to the White House, which didn’t respond to multiple queries. Venezuela’s Information Ministry also didn’t reply to requests for comments.

Separately, Trump nominated Marine Corps Lieutenant General Francis Donovan as head of U.S. Southern Command, which has responsibility for operations related to the Venezuelan blockade. Donovan currently serves as the vice commander for U.S. Special Operations Command.

Venezuela’s oil production reached the government’s 1.2 million barrels per day target, Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez said Saturday on social media.

This “confronts and defeats the harassment, hostility, and imperialist illegality that attacks and violates Venezuelans’ human rights,” Rodriguez wrote in a post on her Telegram account.

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(With assistance from Andreina Itriago, Myles Miller and Jennifer A. Dlouhy.)