The USA is preparing new tanker seizures of Venezuelan oil: what we know.

According to ТСН: After the seizure of the first tanker with Venezuelan oil, the United States is preparing for new interceptions of vessels, increasing financial and military pressure on Nicolas Maduro's regime.

This seizure was the first instance in which the USA intercepted a cargo or tanker from Venezuela, which has been under American sanctions since 2019. The incident occurred against the backdrop of a significant increase in the US military presence in the southern Caribbean and President Donald Trump's attempts to achieve Maduro's ousting.

The latest actions from Washington have forced shipowners and operators transporting Venezuelan oil to be more cautious: many of them are reconsidering plans to set sail from Venezuelan ports in the near future, industry representatives note.

The USA has prepared a list of tankers for possible seizure

The state oil and gas company of Venezuela, PDVSA, has not yet commented on the situation, while the country's authorities have called the US actions "theft".

"We will not stand by and watch as sanctioned vessels set sail with illegal oil, the profits from which fuel drug trafficking and brazen and illegitimate regimes around the world," said White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt.

One source confirmed that the USA has already compiled a list of tankers that may become the next targets. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security of the USA have prepared these operations over several months.

A restriction or halt on the export of Venezuelan oil, the main source of income for the regime, will create additional financial difficulties for Maduro.

The US Treasury announced sanctions against six supertankers, which, according to PDVSA documents, recently loaded oil in Venezuela. Sanctions were also imposed on four Venezuelan citizens, three of whom are relatives of the First Lady Cilia Flores. Currently, there is no information on whether these vessels are included in the list under consideration for interception by the USA.

Increasing pressure on Maduro

Sources familiar with US policy towards Venezuela note that further seizures could further increase financial pressure on Maduro. He, in turn, claims that American military activity is aimed at his overthrow and the seizure of control over Venezuela's oil resources.

Washington is paying attention to the so-called "shadow fleet" - a network of tankers transporting sanctioned oil to China, the largest buyer of Iranian and Venezuelan oil. Some vessels are making trips for Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, sources report.

The seizure of the Skipper tanker prompted at least one company to temporarily halt three voyages with a total volume of approximately 6 million barrels of Venezuelan oil of the Merey grade.

"The cargo was just loaded, and they were about to head to Asia. Now the trips have been canceled, and the tankers are waiting off the coast of Venezuela - it is safer that way," explained one trader.

It should be noted that US troops seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Trump called the vessel "the largest ever captured". The Skipper tanker had been under US sanctions since 2022 for smuggling oil which allegedly financed "Hezbollah" and Iran. The operation involved military helicopters, coast guard, sailors, and special forces who descended onto the deck. The US Attorney General confirmed that the vessel was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

These events indicate that the USA is intensifying pressure on Venezuela to strike a blow to the country's economy and limit the income of Maduro's regime. The reaction of the international community to these actions will be crucial in the further development of the situation, as it is important how other countries respond to the new restrictions and seizures.

The seizure of tankers could also lead to significant changes in oil trading in the region, as some countries may reconsider their relations with Venezuela, taking into account the risks associated with American sanctions.