Venezuela alleges U.S. is engaging in “extortion” following the seizure of its oil tankers.
Venezuela has accused the United States of carrying out the “greatest extortion” in its history during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York.
Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN condemned Washington’s seizure of two Venezuelan oil tankers, calling the move “worse than piracy.” The emergency session was convened to address the seizures, which occurred off Venezuela’s coast earlier this month. The US has also said it is pursuing a third Venezuelan tanker.
US President Donald Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of running a drug cartel and allowing gangs to operate unchecked. On December 16, Trump ordered a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, saying the US would keep or sell the seized crude oil and vessels.
In recent months, the US has significantly increased its military presence in the Pacific and Caribbean, deploying around 15,000 troops along with aircraft carriers and warships—the largest regional deployment since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Washington says the goal is to curb the flow of fentanyl and cocaine into the US.
The US has also carried out strikes on what it claims are Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats, hitting more than 20 vessels and killing at least 100 people. Some experts have warned these attacks could breach international laws governing armed conflict.
Addressing the Security Council, Venezuela’s UN envoy Samuel Moncada accused the US of acting outside international law and attempting to force Venezuelans to surrender their country. He described the oil seizures as “pillaging, looting and recolonisation,” adding that the US has no jurisdiction in the Caribbean and questioning the link between Venezuela’s oil industry and drug trafficking.
In response, US Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz said Washington does not recognise Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. He argued that Maduro’s ability to sell oil supports what he described as fraudulent claims to power and “narco-terrorist” activities.
Speaking at a trade fair in Caracas, President Maduro claimed the Security Council was showing strong support for Venezuela.
Russia and China sharply criticised the US actions. Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Washington of illegally destroying civilian vessels in the Caribbean and warned that other countries could be targeted next, calling the actions a model for future force against Latin American states. China’s envoy, Sun Lei, urged the US to immediately stop its actions and avoid further escalation.
