The United States has seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela as part of a major military operation in the region in decades. This operation, personally announced by Donald Trump, is part of the "expanded interdiction" strategy against vessels linked to narcoterrorism. Analysts interpret this as a direct message to Caracas and foreign actors facilitating sanctions evasion. The U.S. actions come amidst escalating political tensions in Venezuela, where the Maduro regime has reinforced the mobilization of civilian militias. Meanwhile, global attention on the country's crisis has intensified following the arrival of opposition leader María Corina Machado, a recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in Oslo. Intercepting vessels transporting oil via clandestine routes could significantly impact Venezuela's fragile economy, which is heavily reliant on discounted oil exports. Washington maintains that the Maduro regime leads a transnational criminal structure associated with the "Cartel of the Suns," using maritime networks to fund illicit activities. The Venezuelan government has not yet issued an official response, but state media have already labeled the U.S. action an "imperialist aggression."
