THE GREAT OIL STRUGGLE: How the United States Seized Venezuelan Oil, Defied Sanctions and Shook Global Order.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

“Trump’s Venezuela Strategy, Global Oil Politics and the World’s Watchful Silence.”

In a dramatic and unprecedented turn of events that reads like a 21st-century REALPOLITIK THRILLER, the United States under President Donald J. Trump has engineered a sweeping campaign to seize control of Venezuelan oil (the lifeblood of the South American nation) in defiance of longstanding export sanctions, international norms and mounting global unease. What began as a sanctions regime has morphed into a geopolitical juggernaut with oil tankers pursued across oceans, nations blockaded and the very principle of sovereign resource ownership thrown into question.

Sanctions, Sanctions Evaded and Three Oil Tankers Bound for the U.S.
As sanctions tightened on Venezuela’s petroleum industry (once a cornerstone of global crude markets) a new pattern emerged on the high seas. Despite crippling export limitations tied to U.S. financial penalties, Chevron-chartered vessels began moving crude to American refineries, underscoring the complexity and contradictions of U.S. energy policy. On January 8, 2026, three of the 11 Chevron-chartered ships were confirmed transporting Venezuelan oil onward to the United States, even amid “EXPORT SANCTIONS” that were ostensibly still in force.

This logistical twist reflects the convoluted reality: while broad sanctions remain in place, selective waivers and deals have been struck to prioritize oil flows that align with U.S. interests. In effect, sanctions enforcement has become a tool of leverage and not only to punish Maduro but to redirect Venezuela’s oil to American shores under terms set by Washington.

Shadow Fleets and Sinking Sovereignty: The Seizure of Oil Tankers.
The U.S. campaign took an audacious escalation in early January 2026, when government forces seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuelan crude exports and one of which was Russian-flagged and had been chased across the Atlantic for more than two weeks.

The Marinera (formerly Bella 1), flagged under Russia after attempts to evade detection and the M Sophia, intercepted in the Caribbean Sea, were both taken into U.S. custody under sanctions enforcement action. Washington claims these vessels were part of a “SHADOW FLEET” that shipped Venezuelan oil, potentially contravening American sanctions.

These seizures are not isolated incidents. At least four oil tankers have now been intercepted or commandeered by U.S. forces in the last weeks, part of an aggressive maritime campaign aimed at choking off Venezuela’s oil revenues.

Russia has vocally condemned these actions as breaches of international maritime law and “NEO-COLONIAL” overreach. Though the United States insists legal authority lies in its sanctions regime and national security prerogatives.

Military Might and Oil Blockade: Operation Southern Spear.
These maritime subplots occur against the backdrop of Operation Southern Spear, a sweeping U.S. naval and military buildup in the Caribbean since late 2025 that culminated in strikes, interceptor actions and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro himself in early January 2026, an act that stands out as one of the boldest and most controversial in recent U.S. foreign policy.

Initially framed as combating narcotics trafficking and enforcing sanctions, Southern Spear has resulted in:

A naval “blockade” (technically a quarantine of sanctioned tankers) restricting oil exports from Venezuelan ports.

Multiple U.S. military and Coast Guard seizures of oil tankers.

Threats and limited strikes on maritime vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

This buildup represents the largest American military presence in the Caribbean in decades, eclipsing even Cold War deployments and serves the twin purposes of resource control and regime destabilization.

Congressional Pushback and Global Watchers.
In Washington, not all branches of government have stood in unison behind Trump’s bold approach. A bipartisan U.S. Senate resolution was advanced to require congressional approval for further military action in Venezuela, a direct rebuke to unilateral executive maneuvers.

Senator Tim Kaine, a key proponent of the measure, underscored the constitutional imperative of legislative oversight on matters of war and peace. For critics in both the U.S. and abroad, the growing conflation of oil interests with military action recalls historical resource-driven conflicts and raises alarms about executive overreach.

At the United Nations, diplomats and legal experts have flagged legal concerns. Some UN bodies and experts characterize aspects of the blockade and seizures as violations of the UN Charter and customary maritime law, especially given that U.S. sanctions lack Security Council authorization and extend into international waters not under U.S. jurisdiction.

Yet, concrete collective action from the UN remains muted though revealing the limitations of global governance when confronted by a superpower with strategic intent.

Oil, Influence and Economic Leverage.
At the heart of the conflict is Venezuela’s massive crude reserves, among the largest on Earth. Control over these resources is not only an economic windfall but a geopolitical asset in a fractured world order where energy remains central to national power.

Trump’s administration has outlined plans to refine and market up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, funneling proceeds into U.S. economic channels and leveraging energy dominance for diplomatic influence.

Vice President J.D. Vance, articulating the strategy, stated, “We control the energy resources and we tell the regime, you are allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America’s national interest” A statement that encapsulates not merely commercial policy but a territorial conception of resource sovereignty.

Global Repercussions and the World’s Gaze.
The world watches while the United States expands its grip on Venezuelan oil and many questions loom:

Legal legitimacy: Maritime law experts and UN legal authorities warn that unilateral blockades and seizures could redefine international norms if left uncontested.

Geopolitical tension: Russia has condemned U.S. actions and China (a major buyer of Venezuelan crude) denounced the seizures as “BULLYING.”

Economic impact: Venezuelan crude exports have plummeted as tanker traffic evaporates amid U.S. pressure.

Humanitarian crisis: With oil at the core of Venezuela’s economy already near collapse, further disruptions risk worsening living conditions for millions.

Critics argue that Washington’s aggressive posture risks turning the Caribbean into a new flashpoint of great-power rivalry, with oil reserves as the coveted prize. Scholar Dr. Felipe Gómez of the Latin American Institute for Geopolitical Studies warns, “Energy dominance pursued through coercion will fracture trust and ignite competition that the global system is ill-prepared to manage.”

Meanwhile, former U.S. Ambassador Anne Peterson comments, “When you conflate security and resource control, you invite conflict. The international community must reaffirm the principles that challenged nations, too, have rights under international law.”

In Retrospect: A New Age of Oil Politics.
The saga of Venezuelan oil and U.S. intervention is not simply about petroleum and sanctions. It is a stark illustration of how energy resources remain central to power, how laws can bend under national interest and how the global order (beset by rivalries and weakening multilateralc institutions) increasingly operates in a realist paradigm.

The world watches as tankers are seized, Congress debates war powers and the United States asserts its will far from its shores. Oil is more than a commodity here; it is the linchpin of political leverage and Venezuela (for all its suffering and turmoil) has become the epicenter of a renewed struggle over who controls energy and, by extension, the fate of nations.

In this unfolding drama, one truth is unmistakable: power flows with oil and those who control the oil may yet control the direction of history itself.