Washington is making clear – in case there was still lingering confusion in anyone’s mind – that we have entered the “Maduro must go” phase of looming regime change operations targeting Venezuela.
A fresh Monday statement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem makes clear that “We’re not just interdicting these ships, but we’re also sending a message around the world that the illegal activity that Maduro is participating in cannot stand, he needs to be gone, and that we will stand up for our people.”
“This is an enemy of the United States that we’re taking strong action against, and our Coast Guard is doing a rock-star job going out there and interdicting these ships safely, but also sending a strong message that we will stop this flow and we will continue to stand up for our country,” Noem said.
The Coast Guard falls directly under Noem’s jurisdiction, and while it has been the Pentagon doing the drug boat strikes with drones, the Coast Guard has been seeking to intercept and take control of a third ‘illicit’ tanker in waters off Venezuela.
Sources have told Bloomberg that US forces are still in pursuit of the Bella 1 tanker, which was en route to Venezuela to be loaded with oil. Amid conflicting reports that it had been boarded by American troops, US officials later told The New York Times that the Bella 1 refused to be boarded and fled to the northeast, into the Atlantic Ocean.
It remains unclear whether the Bella 1 will ultimately “get away” or not:
U.S. forces approached the Bella 1 late on Saturday. But it refused to be boarded, instead turning and creating what one U.S. official described as “an active pursuit.”
By Sunday, the Bella 1 was still fleeing the Caribbean and was broadcasting distress signals to nearby ships, according to radio messages reviewed by The New York Times and first posted online by a maritime blogger. The vessel was traveling northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, more than 300 miles away from Antigua and Barbuda, the messages showed. By Sunday evening, Bella 1 had sent over 75 alerts.
It is not clear what steps the United States is taking to pursue the ship. The White House said Mr. Trump would make an announcement on Monday afternoon with his defense secretary and his navy secretary but provided no indication of the subject.
These tanker interdict actions have clearly been stepped up, and more will likely follow, raising the stakes also as China and Russia could react with strong condemnations:
The Coast Guard on Saturday stopped and boarded the Centuries, a tanker that had recently loaded Venezuelan oil, reportedly for a Chinese trader. The U.S. authorities did not have a seizure warrant for the Panamanian-flagged vessel and said they were verifying the validity of its registration. It was unclear how long the ship would be detained.
On Dec. 10, the United States had seized another tanker, the Skipper, which was transporting Venezuelan crude but had earlier carried Iranian oil. The Skipper has been escorted to Galveston, Texas.
This month the US strikes on alleged trafficking boats have have killed about 100 people total since early September. While these actions have remained deeply controversial, denounced in many quarters as ‘extra-judicial killings’ – Congress has essential neutered itself.
NY Times: the tanker the US seized today, called “the Centuries, is not on a list of tankers under U.S. sanctions that is publicly maintained by the Treasury Department. The people inside Venezuela’s oil industry said the cargo belongs to an established China-based oil trader… pic.twitter.com/UXNkKBKgUq
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) December 20, 2025
Recent bills before the House have sought war powers for Congress, which would have required President Trump to seek Congressional approval for further military action; however, these efforts have been voted down, and the strike down was largely bipartisan.
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Enter the “days are numbered” rhetoric on Venezuelan strongman Maduro. There’s been speculation he could flee to places like Qatar or even Russia, like someone else did a year ago…
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