The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil in hopes of escaping a blockade imposed by President Trump, according to two sources familiar with the action.
Why it matters: The show of force makes it clear the Trump administration considers almost all oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude to be subject to search and possible seizure — whether the vessel is under sanction or not.
- This is the second tanker carrying Venezuelan oil to be boarded by the U.S. It is unclear if the U.S. will take control of the oil as it did with the vessel Skipper, the first of its kind seized on Dec. 10.
- "This is a message to Maduro," one of the sources briefed on the boarding said, referring to Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, who has been indicted as a "narco-terrorist" and is wanted by the U.S.
Zoom in: Six days after the seizure of the Skipper, Trump announced the blockade would apply to all vessels that are on the U.S. sanctions lists servicing Venezuela.
- But as Axios first reported prior to the announcement, Trump advisers believed that almost any vessel carrying Venezuelan crude would be subject to seizure.
- Maduro on Thursday dispatched two non-sanctioned vessels with Venezuelan oil, at least one of which was escorted by a Venezuelan naval vessel.
Between the lines: Samir Madani, owner of the TankerTrackers.com firm that monitors shipping, said the ship boarded early Saturday was the ship that departed Venezuela under escort, but it was stopped in international waters without the military vessels.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday afternoon posted video on X of the seizure of the Chinese-owned Panamanian-flagged vessel, named Centuries, which was carrying 1.8 million barrels of oil.
- "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," Noem wrote.
The intrigue: The U.S. currently recognizes only one company shipping Venezuelan oil, Chevron.
- Some Trump advisers want that arrangement paused to squeeze Maduro's oil-based economy further.
The big picture: One of the sources briefed on the action said the decision to board the tanker was a sign that the U.S.'s unprecedented armada off Venezuela isn't for show.
- "Even if we don't seize the oil, it's telling everyone who decides to play this game that we're going to interdict you at will," the source said. "Who is going to want to take that risk?"
Historical fact: The boarding of the vessel Wednesday coincided with the 36th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Panama, which resulted in the capture of strongman Manuel Noriega, who had been indicted for drug trafficking.
- Trump advisers point out the similarities between Noriega and Maduro, and they note that President George W. Bush did not get Congressional authorization for the Dec. 20, 1989 invasion, called Operation Just Cause.
Go deeper: Trump escalates Venezuela standoff with oil tanker seizure
