As US forces deployed in the Caribbean have zoned in on tankers transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil, questions have deepened about the real motivation for Donald Trump's pressure campaign on Caracas.

The U.S. is 'in active pursuit' of an oil tanker after President Donald Trump announced a total blockade of Venezuela's oil exports.

Personnel from the United States boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to an official familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas.

Closely tied to Washington during much of the Cold War, Venezuela has gone through political upheavals over the years that now make it a major enemy in the eyes of the Trump administration.

Trump is not satisfied with the "status quo" of Maduro's regime in Venezuela and is trying to "change that dynamic," according to Rubio.

President Donald Trump has linked his administration’s attacks on drug vessels in Latin America to the fentanyl crisis, among other drugs. Here's what the data shows.

Caracas (CNN) — Venezuela is not seeking a military confrontation with the United States or any other regional actor, its Foreign Minister Yván Gil told CNN in a rare interview, as tensions rise with Washington, including over the recent deadly US Navy ...

Cuba denied it had reached out to the United States about what the region would look like without President Nicolas Maduro leading Venezuela, calling the media report "absurd and false."

It's the second time in recent weeks that the United States has interdicted a tanker, and it comes amid a large U.S. military build-up in Latin America.

In a press statement issued on Friday, December 20, 2025, the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign in Nigeria accused the United States of imperial aggression and of violating international law, warning that the incident poses a serious threat to global peace and the sovereignty of nations in the Global South.