ALWAGHT- The Venezuelan government has strongly condemned what it calls the United States’ “theft and hijacking” of a second oil tanker off its coast, pledging to take legal action against Washington, including lodging a complaint with the United Nations.
Venezuelan Vice President and Petroleum Minister Delcy Rodríguez strongly condemned the United States after US forces boarded and seized the Panama-flagged Centuries oil tanker in the Caribbean, which was carrying up to two million barrels of Venezuelan crude. She described the operation as an illegal act of “international piracy,” accusing Washington of theft, hijacking, and the forced disappearance of the vessel’s crew in international waters.
Rodríguez warned that the actions would not go unanswered, vowing that Venezuela would pursue all legal and diplomatic channels, including filing complaints with the UN Security Council and other multilateral bodies. She framed the incident as part of a broader attempt by the administration of President Donald Trump to impose a “colonialist model” on Venezuela, insisting that the Venezuelan people would ultimately defeat such efforts.
The seizure comes amid escalating US pressure on Caracas. US officials defended the operation as part of efforts to stop the alleged illicit transport of sanctioned oil, despite legal experts noting that the vessel itself was not sanctioned. The incident follows a previous tanker seizure in December, expanded US military deployments in the Caribbean, repeated threats against President Nicolás Maduro, and lethal US operations targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels. Venezuela maintains that these actions are aimed at regime change and the appropriation of its oil resources.
