LOS ANGELES (OC).–Taking the Venezuela crisis a step further, President Donald Trump ordered the Coast Guard and Navy to seize a Venezuelan tanker in the most provocative act of war to date. Since Sept. 2, Trump ordered the Pentagon to shoot down boats suspected of narco-terrorism, the new term for drug trafficking. Launching five strikes since Sept., the Pentagon has killed 87 sailors working on drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and East Pacific, something Democrats in Congress think are war crimes. Trump thinks he’s well within in Article 2 authority to protect U.S. national security, preventing drug shipments from reaching U.S. shores. Accusing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of narco-terrorism, Trump looks like he’s seeking regime change and is willing to push things to the brink. Trump has built up the U.S. fleet in the Caribbean ready to strike.
Trump has been ambiguous about his next moves in Venezuela until now, seizing an oil tanker is certainly an act of war. Last week Trump was asked whether the Pentagon planned a ground invasion or additional strikes on suspected drug-making facilities. “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually,” Trump told reports at the White House. Trump was asked what would happen to the oil on the tanker, stating he wasn’t sure whether it would be kept by the U.S. “Well, we keep it, I guess,” not sure what his next move would be. U.S. Coast Guard and Navy were involved in the interdiction, with very few details known. Venezuela has the largest known oil reserves on the planet, pumping about one million barrels a day. Trump has said he wants U.S. oil companies to have more access to Venezuelan oil.
Democrats in Congress question Trump’s use of military force against so-called drug boats, waging a military campaign against drug trafficking on the high seas. Past enforcement has involved interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard, not the Pentagon striking boats with lethal force. Trump has conflated the war on drugs with an actual war, where he defines drug smugglers as narco-terrorists, making them enemy combatants to the Pentagon. Some skeptics about the legality of using military force on suspected drug smuggling boats have prompted lawsuits in The Hague’s International Court of Justice. There’s no question that Trump could be a thin legal ice, bringing lethal force in the open seas. Military combat has been reserved in the past with military-style attacks, not striking boast in international waters suspected of carrying illicit drugs.
Venezuela operates with severe U.S. economy sanctions, prohibiting oil sales except through the most disguised channels, smuggling the oil through false-flagged intermediaries to sell oil at below market prices to places like China and India. Called ghost tankers, the oil is carried to various locations on the open seas, without declaring its cargo to local authorities. Maduro had no response today but, in the recent past, said be “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire, if necessary,” hinting at a possible military response. Maduro said the ruling party can “guarantee peace, stability and the harmonious developments of Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean.” Maduro, a close ally of Russia, won’t take Trump’s provocation without some response. Maduro has said recently that Trump is trying to drive him from power in Caracas.
Speaking with Trump recently, Maduro promised to give Chevron better access to Venezuelan oil, something that could offset the need for more military confrontation. But today’s seizure of a Venezuelan tanker is the most provocative action to date from the Trump administration. What does Trump hope to gain to seizing an oil tanker from Venezuela? Democrats and the fake news have accused Trump of war mongering, trying to divert attention away from his failed peace plan in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymer Zelensky said he would not cede any land to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Picking a fight with Maduro certainly diverts attention away from the Ukraine War. Whether Maduro stays in power or not, Trump has not specified who, in the Venezuelan resistance, would take his place in any regime change scenario.
Faced with growing scrutiny over the legality of striking boats on the open seas, Trump has already pushed the envelope before the latest military adventure. Seizing an oil tanker sounds like Somali or Houthi pirates halfway around the globe in the Red Sea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has resisted giving the press a Sept. 2 video of a second strike on a disabled drug boat. Democrats accused Trump of war crimes, striking for the second time a disabled smuggling boat. When it comes to today’s incident, it’s not clear whether it was a Venezuelan-flagged boat or from some other country. Trump may be forced to return the tanker to its rightful owners, rather than threatening to seize the contents. Whatever happens next, tensions have escalated with Venezuela to the point of coming to blows. Trump has hinted he has more military action in mind for Venezuela.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
