US Coast Guard pursues third 'dark fleet' oil tanker as Trump targets Venezuelan sanctions evasion network

The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing a sanctioned lipid tanker adjacent Venezuela arsenic President Donald Trump intensifies his unit run against Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro with a sweeping blockade targeting illicit lipid shipments.

"The United States Coast Guard is successful progressive pursuit of a sanctioned acheronian fleet vas that is portion of Venezuela’s amerciable sanctions evasion," a U.S. authoritative said successful a connection to Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson. "It is flying a mendacious emblem and nether a judicial seizure order."

Reuters reported that different authoritative noted the tanker was operating nether sanctions and that it had not been boarded frankincense far. The authoritative besides said interceptions could beryllium taken by flying oregon sailing adjacent vessels of concern.

Speaking connected the information of anonymity, the officials did not supply the sanction of the vas oregon wherever it was operating portion being pursued.

SECOND TANKER SEIZED NEAR VENEZUELA AS US ENFORCES OIL BLOCKADE

FILE – An lipid tanker is seen anchored successful Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela aft loading crude lipid astatine the Bajo Grande Refinery port.  (Jose Bula Urrutia/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

The pursuit comes days aft Trump announced a "total and implicit blockade" of sanctioned lipid tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

The archetypal tanker was seized connected Wednesday, and video released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) showed agents rappelling onto the vas with weapons drawn.

Attorney General Pam Bondi took to X to stock details of the archetypal seizure, writing, "for aggregate years, the lipid tanker has been sanctioned by the United States owed to its engagement successful an illicit lipid shipping web supporting overseas violent organizations."

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"This seizure, completed disconnected the seashore of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely – and our probe alongside the Department of Homeland Security to forestall the transport of sanctioned lipid continues," Bondi concluded.

A 2nd tanker was seized by U.S. forces connected Saturday, again, disconnected the seashore of Venezuela.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said successful a station connected X that the U.S. Coast Guard, with assistance from the Department of War, apprehended the lipid tanker during the aboriginal greeting hours. The vessel had past been docked successful Venezuela.

TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL BLOCKADE PUTS CHEVRON IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH-STAKES SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro holds a ceremonial sword said to person belonged to independency leader Simon Bolivar during a government-organized civic-military march successful Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

"The United States volition proceed to prosecute the illicit question of sanctioned lipid that is utilized to money narco coercion successful the region," Noem said. "We volition find you, and we volition halt you."

Noem besides praised the work members progressive successful the operation, thanking the "brave men and women" of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of War for carrying retired the interdiction.

China is the world's top idiosyncratic of Venezuelan crude oil, Reuters reported. 

The past clip the nationalist was made alert of the U.S. subject seizing a overseas lipid tanker was successful 2014, erstwhile Navy SEALs boarded and took implicit a vessel antecedently seized by 3 equipped men astatine a Libyan larboard who were attempting to merchantability the nationalized Libyan lipid connected the achromatic market, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.

About 30 men from Navy SEAL squad 2 embarked from the USS Roosevelt, utilizing inflatable boats and ladders to get connected committee the MV Morning Glory lipid tanker and detained the rebels.

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There were nary casualties during the 2014 mission, which was carried retired connected orders from erstwhile President Barack Obama successful planetary waters southeast of Cyprus astatine the petition of the Libyan and Cypriot governments.

Fifteen percent of U.S.-deployed Navy ships are presently successful the Caribbean region, the Navy confirmed to Fox News Wednesday.

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr and Alexandra Koch, arsenic good arsenic Reuters contributed to this report.