President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the U.S. Coast Guard intensified its efforts to intercept oil tankers in the Caribbean, part of an escalating pressure campaign launched by the Republican administration against the Caracas government.
Trump made his statements surrounded by senior national security advisors, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, hinting at a readiness to escalate the ongoing four-month pressure campaign against Maduro’s government. Initially kicked off, as stated, to curb the flow of illicit drugs from the South American nation, the campaign has since evolved into a more ambiguous course.
Trump remarked about Maduro: “If he wants to do something, and if he tries to be tough, it will be the last time he can be tough,” while spending the weekend in Florida to announce plans for a new and large warship for the U.S. Navy.
The threat from Trump came as the U.S. Coast Guard continued its pursuit for a second consecutive day of a sanctioned oil tanker, which the Trump administration describes as part of a “shadow fleet” used by Venezuela to evade U.S. sanctions. According to the White House, the tanker uses false flags and is subject to a U.S. court seizure order.
Trump noted: “It’s moving, and we will eventually succeed in seizing it.”
This is the third tanker the Coast Guard has pursued, after U.S. forces seized a Panama-flagged tanker named “Centuries” on Saturday, which U.S. officials said was part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet.
The Coast Guard, with assistance from the U.S. Navy, had previously seized a sanctioned oil tanker named “Skipper” on December 10, which is also part of the fleet that the United States claims operates outside the law to transport sanctioned shipments. That vessel was similarly registered in Panama.
