US Coast Guard Seizes Panamanian Tanker East of Barbados Amid Sanctions Enforcement

The United States Coast Guard, supported by the Department of Defense, conducted an early morning interdiction on December 20, 2025, seizing the oil tanker 'Centuries' in international waters east of Barbados. The action was framed as an enforcement measure related to U.S. sanctions, although the vessel itself was not explicitly named on current U.S. sanctions registries, prompting questions regarding the scope of the enforcement policy.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the seizure, stating that the U.S. "will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region." The operation involved a rapid deployment of rappelling troops from military helicopters onto the tanker. A U.S. official characterized the boarding as "consented," indicating that the government of Panama, under whose flag the vessel sailed, had authorized the inspection.

The 24-year-old 'Centuries' was reportedly transporting approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude oil, having loaded the cargo between December 7 and 11, 2025. Data from TankerTrackers.com suggests this may have been the ship's seventh voyage carrying Venezuelan crude. This incident follows the December 10 seizure of the tanker 'Skipper,' which was under direct U.S. sanctions for transporting Iranian oil, establishing a pattern of maritime enforcement activity during December 2025.

The context for the action stems from President Donald Trump's December 17, 2025, directive calling for a "total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela." The White House spokeswoman designated the 'Centuries' as part of the Venezuelan 'shadow fleet,' a term for vessels moving sanctioned cargo while evading international oversight. The 'Centuries' was allegedly bound for China and operated by a China-based trader known for moving Venezuelan crude to Chinese refineries.

Conflicting accounts emerged immediately after the operation. While the U.S. official cited consent for the boarding, the Venezuelan government strongly condemned the seizure as a "serious act of international piracy" involving the "theft and hijacking" of the vessel and the "forced disappearance of the crew." Furthermore, observers noted that the 'Centuries' was not on any U.S. sanctions list, suggesting the action may have relied on the maritime law of 'right of visit' for inspection, representing an escalation beyond the stated blockade of explicitly sanctioned tankers.

This heightened posture occurs against a backdrop of over two dozen military strikes conducted by the Trump administration on alleged drug vessels since September 2025, which reportedly resulted in more than 100 fatalities. The action against the 'Centuries' is viewed by some analysts as a calculated escalation intended to deter other tankers operating near Venezuela, including those not explicitly sanctioned.