Venezuela’s National Assembly has approved a new law allowing prison sentences of up to 20 years for individuals found to be promoting or financing piracy, blockades, or other international crimes, following recent United States actions against Venezuelan oil shipments.

The legislation was passed on Tuesday by the ruling party-controlled parliament after the US Coast Guard seized a sanctioned supertanker carrying Venezuelan crude earlier this month. US officials also said attempts were made over the weekend to intercept two additional vessels linked to Venezuela.

According to US authorities, the maritime operations are part of efforts to counter sanctions evasion and drug trafficking. However, the Venezuelan government has denounced the seizures and interceptions as illegal acts carried out in international waters.

The new law, formally titled the Law to Guarantee Freedom of Navigation and Commerce Against Piracy, Blockades, and Other International Illicit Acts, was introduced on Monday by pro-government lawmaker Giuseppe Alessandrello.

While presenting the draft, Alessandrello said the legislation was aimed at protecting the national economy and preventing further deterioration in living standards.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said the bill would be sent to the executive branch for approval and would enter into force once published in the Official Gazette.

The recent US actions are being described as the strongest measures taken against Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, in several years.

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

PDVSA has been under US sanctions since 2019, with pressure increasing in 2020 after Washington sanctioned two trading subsidiaries of Russia’s Rosneft, forcing Venezuela to significantly cut oil production and exports.

The US has deployed additional naval and air assets to the region and has carried out lethal strikes on boats it claims were involved in drug trafficking, resulting in dozens of deaths. Venezuelan officials have disputed the legality of those operations, particularly the seizure of oil tankers on the high seas.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Venezuela’s ambassador Samuel Moncada said the US was acting outside international law and accused Washington of threatening Venezuela’s sovereignty.

China and Russia also criticised the US approach. Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, warned that Washington’s actions could create a precedent that might later be used against other Latin American countries.

At the same time, several governments in the region, including Argentina, Panama and Chile, were reported to have supported the US position.

President Nicolás Maduro has accused the United States of attempting to undermine Venezuela’s economy and remove his government from power in order to gain control of the country’s oil reserves. Trump has stated that the US intends to retain both the oil seized from the tankers and the vessels themselves.

During the parliamentary session, Rodríguez also criticised Venezuela’s political opposition, accusing them of supporting foreign sanctions and welcoming US actions in the Caribbean. He made the remarks while referring to an opposition leader who has remained in hiding for months but travelled to Oslo earlier this month to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.

References: Reuters, Aljazeera