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By Micah McCartney
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China blasted the administration of President Donald Trump on Monday over its seizure of another oil tanker as the United States continues its military blockade of the Bolivarian Republic.
Why It Matters
The U.S. has been ramping up its military presence in the Caribbean in recent months, leading to the "blockade" of oil tankers that Trump declared late last week, in order to pressure the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to return assets "stolen" when the South American country nationalized its oil industry in the 1970s.
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Trump administration officials insist Venezuela is at the center of a "narco-terrorist" network, a claim Maduro denies. Adding to regional tensions are U.S. strikes on vessels that have killed close to 100 people. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials have claimed, without providing evidence, that the victims were engaged in so-called "narco-terrorism."
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email outside of office hours with a request for comment.
What To Know
"The U.S. practice of arbitrarily seizing other countries' vessels grossly violates international law, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters during a regular press conference.
"Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, and we believe that the international community can understand and support Venezuela's stance of defending its own legitimate rights and interests," the official went on.
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U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in an X post the Coast Guard intercepted the tanker, said to have previously made a port call in Venezuela, on Saturday morning in a "pre-dawn action."
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the Panama-flagged Centuries was operating as part of a shadow fleet trafficking "stolen oil" in violation of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela. She repeated the administration's claim the government has been using oil revenues to fund "narco-terrorism."
Madura has rejected this claim and said the U.S. pressure was intended to bring about regime change.
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email with a request outside of office hours for comment.
It was the second seizure of an oil tanker since December 10, when U.S. forces intercepted the Skipper off the Caribbean coast.
What People Are Saying
Venezuela's Foreign Ministry wrote in a December 10 press statement following the Skipper's seizure: "The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces and strongly condemns what constitutes a brazen theft and an act of international piracy, publicly announced by the president of the United States, who confessed to the assault on an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.
"This is not the first time he has admitted it; during his 2024 campaign, he openly stated that his objective had always been to seize Venezuelan oil without offering any compensation in return, making clear that the policy of aggression against our country is part of a deliberate plan to plunder our energy wealth."
President Donald Trump wrote in a December 16 post on Truth Social: "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before—until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us."
"The illegitimate Maduro regime is using oil from these stolen oil fields to finance themselves, drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping. For the theft of our assets, and many other reasons, including terrorism, drug smuggling, and human trafficking, the Venezuelan regime has been designated a foreign terrorist organization."
What Happens Next
The U.S. Coast Guard has been pursuing a third vessel allegedly belonging to the shadow fleet of oil tankers, a U.S. official told Reuters Sunday, saying “it is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
The White House has refused to rule out attacking Venezuela directly, though analysts have expressed skepticism Trump would commit to boots on the ground.
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