The United States will soon begin strikes to interdict narcotics shipments moving overland from Venezuela to the U.S., President Donald Trump said at the White House, escalating a fast-moving confrontation that already includes the seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker by American forces.
The announcement comes as the White House confirmed the seized tanker will be brought to a U.S. port and that Washington intends to confiscate its cargo. “The vessel will go to a U.S. port and the United States does intend to seize the oil,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “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.”
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Trump has in recent weeks repeatedly threatened action against narcotics smuggling via land routes, and on Wednesday he declined to rule out a U.S. ground invasion of Venezuela, telling Politico that President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered.”
The tanker operation, shown in a video released by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, featured American forces descending by rope from a helicopter onto the ship’s deck and entering the bridge with weapons raised. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the raid targeted Maduro’s “regime” and was part of a broader effort to “push back on a regime that is systematically covering and flooding our country with deadly drugs.”
Venezuela’s government denounced the operation as piracy. The foreign ministry said it “strongly denounces and condemns what constitutes blatant theft and an act of international piracy.” Maduro said at a presidential event, “They kidnapped the crew, stole the ship and have inaugurated a new era, the era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean,” adding that Venezuela “will secure all ships to guarantee the free trade of its oil around the world.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through a spokesperson, urged restraint. “We are calling on all actors to refrain from action that could further escalate bilateral tensions and destabilise Venezuela and the region,” the spokesperson said.
U.S. media reported the tanker had been bound for Cuba and was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard. The White House did not immediately provide details about the ship’s origin, cargo ownership or legal basis for the seizure beyond citing sanctions enforcement.
On Capitol Hill, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat Dick Durbin questioned the legality of the action and whether the president had the authority to escalate further without congressional approval. “Any president, before he engages in an act of war, has to have the authorisation of the American people through Congress,” Durbin told CNN. “This president is preparing for an invasion of Venezuela, simply said. And if the American people are in favour of that, I’d be surprised.”
Washington has intensified its pressure campaign against Caracas. The U.S. recently labeled what it calls the “Cartel of the Suns” a “narco-terrorist” organization, alleging Maduro’s involvement, and offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. The Treasury Department also imposed new sanctions targeting three of Maduro’s relatives and six companies accused of shipping Venezuelan oil.
The Trump administration maintains that Maduro’s hold on power is illegitimate and that he stole Venezuela’s July 2024 election. Maduro, the political heir to the late Hugo Chávez, says the United States is pursuing regime change and seeking to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for Maduro during a phone call, according to the Kremlin, though analysts note Moscow’s capacity to provide meaningful assistance may be limited as its forces remain tied down in the war in Ukraine.
The prospect of U.S. strikes on narcotics routes and the looming seizure of the tanker’s oil raise the risk of miscalculation at sea and along the porous land corridors that run through the region. With diplomatic channels strained and rhetoric hardening on both sides, the UN and regional partners are urging de-escalation even as Washington signals it is prepared to act unilaterally to enforce sanctions and counter what it describes as state-enabled drug trafficking.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
