The United States will keep the oil and two tankers it seized off the coast of Venezuela this month, according to statements made by the White House.

Officials said the crude oil may either be sold, kept, or added to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, while the vessels themselves will remain under U.S. control.

The U.S. Coast Guard, with support from the U.S. Navy, seized the first vessel, Skipper, on 10 December. The tanker was carrying around 1.8 million barrels of crude oil and was reportedly flying a false Guyana flag.

Days later, the administration imposed a blockade on all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers entering or leaving the country.

Over the past weekend, U.S. personnel intercepted a second tanker, Centuries, suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan crude.

The vessel had recently loaded roughly 2 million barrels of oil at Venezuela’s Jose Oil Terminal, according to shipping data provider Kpler.

U.S. authorities also confirmed they were pursuing a third tanker in international waters near Venezuela, part of what was described as a “dark fleet” used to circumvent sanctions.

In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.

The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund… pic.twitter.com/nSZ4mi6axc

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 20, 2025

The seizures are part of a U.S. campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with the administration asserting that Venezuela uses oil revenues to fund drug-related crime.

The U.S. has reduced the flow of drugs by sea by more than 96 per cent and plans to implement similar measures on land, citing land operations as easier and faster.

Since September, the U.S. military has conducted strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

The Southern Command has deployed warships, Marines, fighter jets, and surveillance aircraft to the region. One recent strike in the eastern Pacific reportedly resulted in one death.

According to statements made by President Donald Trump, Venezuela had allegedly sent criminals and drug dealers into the U.S. He also criticised Colombian President Gustavo Petro, warning that Colombia produces cocaine that is trafficked into the United States.

Venezuela condemned the actions as acts of “piracy”. President Maduro responded on state television, suggesting the U.S. should focus on its own domestic issues rather than targeting Venezuela.

Since returning to office, the Trump administration has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture and has designated his government as a foreign terrorist organisation.

References: AA, thehill