US intercepts second merchant vessel off coast of Venezuela in international waters

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Lauren Aratani and agenciesDecember 20, 2025 at 09:15 PM

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US forces intercepted a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela in international waters on Saturday, according to the US Homeland Security Department. This follows a similar seizure on December 10th, both vessels were headed to Asia. The vessel, believed to be the Panama-flagged Centuries, was stopped east of Barbados. While the vessel doesn't appear to be on the US sanctions list, the US claims it is combating the illicit movement of sanctioned oil used to fund narco-terrorism. The US has suggested any vessel carrying Venezuelan oil could be subject to the blockade. Tensions are rising, with Venezuela condemning the seizures as "international piracy" and the US not ruling out military action against the Maduro regime.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Nicolás Maduro 70% Kristi Noem ×280% Venezuela ×280% United States ×390%

Keywords

oil blockade 90% us intercepts vessel 80% international waters 70% venezuelan oil 70% sanctioned oil 60% narco-terrorism 50% maritime seizure 50% us coast guard 40%