US Military Seizes Sixth Venezuelan Oil Tanker as Trump Meets Opposition

WASHINGTON — The United States escalated its intervention in Venezuela on Thursday, seizing a sixth oil tanker in the Caribbean just hours before President Donald Trump welcomed opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado to the White House. The dual events underscore a rapidly intensifying strategy following the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

The Seizure of the Veronica

In a pre-dawn operation, a U.S. Coast Guard tactical team, supported by Marines from the USS Gerald R. Ford, intercepted the Veronica, a Guyana-flagged tanker identified as part of a "ghost fleet" attempting to bypass U.S. sanctions. The vessel, which intelligence officials say was carrying Venezuelan crude destined for illicit markets, is the sixth ship confiscated under "Operation Southern Spear," a campaign launched to sever the financial lifelines of the lingering regime elements.

"The Veronica was operating in defiance of the established quarantine," said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.[1][2][3] "There is no outrunning American justice."[2][3]

The seized tanker is being towed to a U.S. holding facility in the Gulf of Mexico, joining a growing flotilla of intercepted vessels. Pentagon officials have framed these operations not merely as sanctions enforcement, but as a "counter-narcotics and anti-terrorism" imperative, citing the need to secure Venezuela’s assets during the transition.

A Tense but Celebratory White House Meeting

While the military tightened its grip at sea, the diplomatic focus shifted to the Oval Office. President Trump’s meeting with María Corina Machado was a significant pivot for the administration. In the days following the January 3rd raid that extracted Nicolás Maduro to a New York jail cell, Trump had publicly expressed skepticism about Machado’s ability to govern, remarking earlier this month that while she was a "nice woman," she lacked the "respect" to lead the country.[4]

However, Thursday’s meeting struck a different tone, driven by Machado’s recent overtures. The opposition leader, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent resistance, made headlines last week by offering to "share" her Nobel award with President Trump, crediting his "decisive action" for Maduro's removal.

"I told the President that this prize belongs to the Venezuelan people, and by extension, to those who liberated them," Machado told reporters after the meeting.

President Trump, who has long expressed frustration at being overlooked by the Nobel Committee, welcomed the gesture. "It’s a great honor," Trump said.[4][5][6][7] "We are doing a job that the world said couldn't be done." (The Norwegian Nobel Institute has since issued a clarification that the prize cannot be formally transferred or shared.)[8]

The Post-Maduro Vacuum

The backdrop to these events is a chaotic power vacuum in Caracas. Since the U.S. special forces operation that detained Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges, the U.S. has navigated a complex political landscape. Washington has temporarily coordinated with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, who remains in Caracas as an acting administrator—a move that has confused many of Machado’s supporters.

Administration insiders describe the strategy as "controlled demolition." By working with Rodríguez on logistics while simultaneously seizing oil assets and elevating Machado diplomatically, the White House appears to be dismantling the Chavista state piece by piece while retaining direct control over the nation’s lucrative oil revenue.

"The United States is going to run the country until we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition," Trump stated earlier this week, signaling that the U.S. intends to play a heavy-handed role in reconstructing Venezuela’s economy.

Legal and International Fallout

The aggressive posture has drawn sharp reactions globally. Legal scholars are debating the precedent set by seizing commercial vessels like the Veronica in international waters under the guise of domestic anti-terrorism laws. Meanwhile, the sight of a U.S. carrier strike group patrolling the Caribbean has put the region on high alert.

For Machado, the path forward remains fraught. While she has secured the optics of a White House endorsement, the reality on the ground in Venezuela is one of U.S. military dominance and transitional uncertainty.

"Freedom is close," Machado assured her supporters, "but the work of rebuilding has only just begun."