Relations between the United States and Venezuela, long fraught with tension, have entered a new and volatile chapter as the Trump administration ramps up a campaign of military and economic pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s embattled government. In a series of high-profile maritime operations this December, U.S. forces have intercepted three oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, signaling what officials describe as the most determined attempt yet to sever the financial arteries sustaining Maduro’s rule. The moves have sent shockwaves through global oil markets and reignited fierce debate across Latin America and beyond about the legality, ethics, and possible repercussions of Washington’s hardline strategy.
According to Bloomberg News, the U.S. Coast Guard chased the sanctioned Bella 1 tanker on Sunday, December 21, 2025, as it made its way toward Venezuelan waters. Just a day earlier, U.S. authorities boarded the Centuries, a ship owned by a Hong Kong-based company, marking the first time a non-sanctioned vessel was targeted in this campaign. Earlier in the month, on December 10, the very large crude carrier Skipper was also intercepted. These actions, U.S. officials say, are part of an escalating blockade designed to choke off oil revenues—Maduro’s principal economic lifeline—and further isolate his government on the world stage.
“Washington calculates that Maduro depends far more on oil exports than the U.S. or China depends on his barrels,” Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, told Bloomberg. “With global balances loosening and prices falling, the U.S. judges it has growing leverage and is likely to intensify pressure on the Maduro regime.”
The blockade comes amid an already battered Venezuelan economy, crippled by years of mismanagement, sanctions, and the exodus of up to eight million citizens. State-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) has struggled to maintain output, often relying on so-called dark-fleet tankers—older ships with murky ownership structures—to move sanctioned crude to China, Iran, and Russia. Imports of Russian feedstock are also vital to dilute Venezuela’s thick crude, a workaround that U.S. officials are now seeking to disrupt.
The Trump administration’s strategy is not limited to economic measures. Military deployments in the Caribbean and Pacific have reached levels not seen in decades, with deadly strikes on vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking. According to Reuters, these strikes have reportedly killed at least 100 people. President Trump has publicly urged Maduro to leave power and has threatened force and the seizure of oil assets. Critics argue that such rhetoric and actions blur the line between sanctions enforcement and outright regime-change tactics.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscored the administration’s resolve, stating on December 20 that the blockade of sanctioned oil tankers would remain in “full force.” Trump’s public comments have not only targeted Maduro but have also taken aim at regional leaders perceived as sympathetic to Caracas, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro. This widening of the dispute threatens to destabilize relations with Colombia—a key U.S. partner in Latin America—and has raised alarms among other governments in the region.
The economic impact of the blockade is already being felt. Venezuelan Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez announced on December 20 that the country’s oil production had reached the government’s target of 1.2 million barrels per day, a significant rebound from the lows of 400,000 barrels per day following the imposition of U.S. sanctions in 2019. But with storage facilities nearing capacity and export routes under threat, experts warn that Caracas may soon be forced to slash production if it cannot find buyers for its crude.
“This escalation and stronger enforcement point towards a decline in the volume of exports,” Francisco Monaldi, an energy expert at Rice University, told Bloomberg. “These days are going to be critical.”
While Venezuela’s oil exports now account for less than 1% of global demand, the blockade has not gone unnoticed by oil traders. Brent crude prices nudged higher in early Asian trading on December 22, though the market remains well supplied and China, Venezuela’s main customer, has alternative sources. Still, the prospect of further U.S. tanker interceptions and possible seizures of oil assets has injected uncertainty into an already jittery global energy landscape.
The campaign against Maduro is also unfolding against a backdrop of shifting political winds in Latin America. A rightward tilt in recent elections has deepened Venezuela’s diplomatic isolation, with Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and others signing a joint statement over the weekend demanding respect for democratic processes in Caracas. Some regional leaders, however, remain wary of Washington’s approach. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has voiced her opposition to foreign intervention in sovereign nations, while Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned at the Mercosur summit on December 20 that armed conflict in Venezuela would set “a dangerous precedent for the world.”
Trump’s strategy represents a sharp departure from the Biden administration’s more nuanced approach. While Biden maintained sanctions, his team sought to encourage democratic reforms through a carrot-and-stick method, granting waivers to Chevron Corp. in 2022 and 2025 to continue operations in Venezuela under strict conditions. Chevron has emphasized that its operations remain in full compliance with U.S. laws and that it pays no cash royalties or taxes to the Venezuelan government. Despite these efforts, Maduro’s government has so far withstood the pressure, even as the country’s economy and social fabric continue to fray.
According to Dany Bahar, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, “What they’re hoping for is a campaign of maximum pressure that will eventually make the regime collapse, without the need of putting boots on the ground. They’re trying to create a credible threat that will make this structure of power collapse, or high-level military turn around and decide to stand up to Maduro, and say, ‘You have to leave.’”
As the blockade intensifies and diplomatic fault lines widen, the risk of miscalculation at sea or further escalation remains high. Caracas is expected to push back through international forums, reinforcing its narrative of foreign interference and rallying allies where it can. Meanwhile, the fate of Venezuela’s oil industry—and the millions who depend on it—hangs in the balance, as Washington bets that tightening the economic vise will finally force a change at the top.
Whether Trump’s hardline tactics will succeed in toppling Maduro or simply deepen Venezuela’s isolation and suffering is a question that looms large over the region. One thing is clear: the stakes for Venezuela, its neighbors, and the global oil market have rarely been higher.
