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By Mandy Taheri and Peter Aitken
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The United States is pursuing another tanker off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, Reuters and the Associated Press reported on Sunday morning, citing officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon referred Newsweek to the White House on the matter when contacted for comment. Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment and confirmation via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has ordered a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and South American waters, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier, fighter jets and tens of thousands of troops, as part of what his administration has framed as expanded counter-narcotics and sanctions enforcement.
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On Saturday, Reuters first reported a second vessel was stopped off the coast of Venezuela, with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem confirming in an X post that the Coast Guard "apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela."
What To Know
A U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday, “The United States [Coast] Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” noting that “it is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
Bloomberg reported that the U.S. boarded the tanker, which it identified as Panamanian-flagged tanker Bella 1. However, Reuters reporter Idress Ali said in an X post, "Officials tell Reuters that while the U.S. is pursuing a tanker in international waters in the Caribbean, it has not yet been boarded," and marinetraffick.com noted the ship to be Guyana-flagged en route to Curaçao.
Saturday's apprehension and Sunday's pursuit come less than a week after Trump ordered a blockade on Venezuela's oil tankers, as he alleged that the South American country uses oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and crime.
The White House's National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Sunday that the two earlier tankers this month were operating on the black market and providing oil to various sanctioned countries. Noem said in her Saturday X post confirming the apprehension of another tanker, "The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you."
Caracas has called out the U.S. seizure of oil tankers this month, describing the first seizure as an “act of international piracy,” adding that the move was part of a long-running strategy to take control of its natural resources. On Saturday, the government said it "categorically denounces and rejects the theft and hijacking of another private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil."
Venezuela has the largest known oil reserves in the world; however, its crude oil exports have dropped off following Trump’s announcement. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has said Trump is trying to seize the country’s oil and force him from office.
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What People Are Saying
Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), wrote in an X post on Sunday: "Today the U.S. boarded the Bella 1 tanker off #Venezuela. The Bella 1 has been in the #Iran dark fleet...The Bella 1 was thereafter sanctioned in 2024 for carrying cargo on behalf of a #Hezbollah-linked firm."
President Donald Trump wrote in a December 16 Truth Social post: "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. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace. America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY."
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, told reporters last week: "If it were about drugs, we'd bomb Mexico or China or Colombia. This is about oil and regime change."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote in an X post on Saturday: "President Trump has been clear: the blockade of sanctioned oil tankers departing from, or bound for, Venezuela will remain in full force until Maduro’s criminal enterprise returns every stolen American asset. The @DeptofWar, with our partners at @USCG, will unflinchingly conduct maritime interdiction operations — through OPERATION SOUTHERN SPEAR — to dismantle illicit criminal networks. Violence, drugs, and chaos will not control the Western Hemisphere."
Updater 12/21/25, 1:16 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 12/21/25, 11:55 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 12/21/25, 11:30 a.m. ET: This article and has been updated with additional information and the headline has been changed for clarity.
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