Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela
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US foreign policyAdd to myFTGet instant alerts for this topicManage your delivery channels hereRemove from myFTSanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on VenezuelaWashington shifts its campaign against Nicolás Maduro as its attacks on alleged drug smugglers come under legal scrutiny Washington also sanctioned three nephews of Maduro’s wife, calling them ‘narco-traffickers’ © AFP via Getty ImagesSanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on x (opens in a new window)Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on facebook (opens in a new window)Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on linkedin (opens in a new window)Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on x (opens in a new window)Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on facebook (opens in a new window)Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on linkedin (opens in a new window)Sanctions and seizures: Trump turns up the heat on Venezuela on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save James Politi and Steff Chávez in Washington and Jamie Smyth in New YorkPublishedDecember 11 2025Jump to comments sectionPrint this pageUnlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldDonald Trump expanded his pressure campaign on Venezuela’s strongman Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday, with a spectacular high seas seizure by US forces of an oil tanker carrying the South American country’s crude.The US president followed up the Caribbean drama with a raft of sanctions on Thursday, tightening Washington’s economic crackdown even as he avoids — so far — military action on Venezuela’s soil.The shift comes as the Trump administration is facing growing scrutiny over the legality of the deadly US attacks on alleged drug smuggling boats, and doubts, including from some Republicans, about the merits of an expanded military campaign. Trump says that all options for Venezuela are on the table. But the focus on the oil sector would increase the financial pressure on the regime and could give Washington a path to craft a negotiated solution to the stand-off with Maduro. “I think Trump is simply pulling a new tool out of the box to threaten Maduro, who hopefully will get the hint, because the next tool will be air strikes,” said James Stavridis, a former naval commander of US Southern Command, which oversees American military operations in the region.Show video infoShow video descriptionVideo descriptionAttorney-general Pam Bondi posts a video showing US troops executing a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker allegedly used to transport oil from Venezuela and Iran US troops boarding an oil tanker allegedly used to transport oil from Venezuela and Iran © @AGPamBondi/XOn Thursday, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, suggested that Washington would seize more tankers, but did not want a “prolonged” conflict. “We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of illegitimate regimes around the world,” she said. Fifty-five US-sanctioned tankers have participated in Venezuelan oil trades in the last year, with 15 of them currently in the Caribbean region, according to real-time data and analytics firm Kpler.Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions on six shipping companies and six more oil tankers for their role in Venezuela’s energy sector. It also sanctioned three nephews of Maduro’s wife, calling them “narco-traffickers”.Joaquin Castro, a Democratic House member from Texas and a senior member of the foreign affairs committee, said he hoped Trump was looking for an “off ramp” from a full-blown war with Venezuela. “Most Americans are not interested in risking American service members’ lives and billions of dollars on regime change in Venezuela,” Castro said. “People from all political stripes have expressed strong concern for what’s going on.” Maduro spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, but the conversation was brushed off by the White House. “I don’t think that would be concerning to [Trump] at all,” said Leavitt.With the tanker seizure, “the two capitals that should be watching closely are Moscow and Tehran, both of whom have big equities in sanctioned shadow fleets around the world”, said Stavridis.The vessel dramatically seized by US forces on Wednesday, Skipper, was “falsely flying” the Guyanese flag, the country’s Maritime Administration Department said on Thursday. Skipper was sanctioned by the US in 2022, when it was called the Adisa, for allegedly being part of an oil smuggling network funding Hizbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.Leavitt said the US intends to seize the tanker’s cargo, which will be taken to an American port. “There is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed.” Analysts said any further seizures of sanctioned vessels by the US could largely halt Venezuelan crude exports. “A campaign of seizures could freeze Venezuela’s exports,” said Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners, a Washington-based consultancy.Maduro’s regime depends on income from oil exports, which have almost doubled to 900,000 barrels a day in the past five years. About 80 per cent of the exports sail to China. US oil company Chevron produces about 240,000 b/d in Venezuela. Kpler said the seizure of the Skipper was a “notable escalation” in Trump’s pressure on the regime but may be a “targeted message” rather than a new campaign.“Large-scale interdictions would risk significant market disruption, escalate tensions with nonaligned states, and stretch enforcement resources,” he said. Oil prices rose a bit after the US seized the vessel, although international benchmark Brent remains at just over $61 a barrel.The relatively modest price means there is “room in the oil price for economic pressure on producers”, said Book. Some content could not load. Check your internet connection or browser settings.The purpose of the tanker seizure in Trump’s strategy was still puzzling to some analysts.“It is meant to increase pressure in a very specific way, without necessarily the use of the military. And then the question is, for what?” said Roxanna Vigil, a former US Treasury and White House official at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Is it buying more time to convince Mr Maduro that it’s time for him to exit and negotiating terms for that? Or is it to buy more time for something else?”Additional reporting by Chris Cook in London, Joe Daniels in Bogotá and Claire Jones in WashingtonReuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments sectionPromoted Content Follow the topics in this article US politics & policy Add to myFT Oil & Gas industry Add to myFT US foreign policy Add to myFT Nicolas Maduro Add to myFT Karoline Leavitt Add to myFT Comments