The U.S. Department of Homeland Security this week released a more than seven-minute-long video showing the boarding and seizure of the supertanker M/T CENTURIES.
The Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned vessel was intercepted in international waters in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.
The operation was conducted by a US Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) with support from the US Navy.
According to US authorities, this is the second seizure of a sanctioned tanker in the region in just a few days.
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The measure follows President Donald Trump’s announcement on December 17 that he would impose a total blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
Officials involved in the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not reveal the exact location of the boarding but confirmed that the Coast Guard played a leading role in the operation.
The first seizure, which occurred about a week earlier, had already had an immediate impact on the outflow of Venezuelan oil exports.
Impact on exports and the “shadow fleet”
After the first deployment, Venezuela’s oil exports fell significantly. Several ships that were already loaded remained in Venezuelan waters to avoid the risk of seizure. However, the blockade is not absolute.
While many ships involved in transporting Venezuelan oil are subject to sanctions, other ships carrying oil from Venezuela as well as crude oil from Iran and Russia are not on the sanctions lists. Some companies, including the US company Chevron, continue to transport Venezuelan oil with their own ships on the basis of special permits.
In response to international pressure, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the Venezuelan navy to escort ships carrying petroleum products. Several ships have already left Venezuela for Asia under maritime escort, although, according to available information, none of them were officially on the list of sanctioned tankers.
The new seizures underscore Washington’s escalation of measures against maritime logistics related to Venezuelan oil and suggest a further tightening of U.S. control over Caribbean energy routes.
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Source and images: Homeland Security X @DHSgov | Secretary Kristi Noem This content was created with the support of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
