U.S. military seizes Chinese oil tanker Century.

On December 20, 2025, U.S. Special Operations Forces, via helicopter fast-roping, boarded and seized control of the Hong Kong Century Shipping Company's oil tanker "Century" over international waters in the Caribbean Sea. The vessel was carrying 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude oil at the time. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) explicitly stated that this action was authorized under U.S. domestic law (including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and related executive orders) and aimed to enforce sanctions against the Venezuelan Maduro regime. No prior notification or on-scene negotiation was conducted before the operation, as intelligence indicated the vessel was participating in a sanctions-evasion transportation network.

The "Century's" declared route was from Puerto José, Venezuela, to a refinery base in Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, China. This facility is one of the few in China capable of processing Venezuelan heavy crude oil on a large scale. Venezuelan naval vessels had escorted the ship to the edge of its exclusive economic zone before returning. The U.S. military action occurred after the Venezuelan navy had disengaged.

This operation was the second such incident in December. On December 10, 2025, another oil tanker, the "Skipper" (carrying 1.1 million barrels of Venezuelan crude), was intercepted. Its cargo was subsequently transferred to a refinery in Houston, Texas, USA, and underwent "civil forfeiture" under U.S. judicial procedures. Similar to the "Century" operation, this action was also based on sanctions evasion investigations.

The day after the "Century" was seized (December 21), U.S. company Chevron, under a specific license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, loaded 500,000 barrels of crude oil from Venezuela. The U.S. government emphasized that such limited, strictly regulated licenses are intended to maintain global energy market stability and are coordinated with the overarching strategy of promoting Venezuela's democratic transition, fundamentally differing in nature from covert transportation activities that violate sanctions.

Possible Reasons

Senior U.S. government officials acknowledged in briefings that they are aware of the increasing trend of RMB settlement in China-Venezuela trade (citing external reports of 65%). However, the U.S. side believes the dominance of the U.S. dollar is based on the fundamental strength of the U.S. economy and the transparency of its financial system. The U.S. views the "oil-for-loans" model of China-Venezuela oil trade and infrastructure cooperation as actions that consolidate the Maduro regime and potentially undermine the effectiveness of sanctions. The core objective of the U.S. interception of the "Century" is defined as: cutting off the Maduro regime's illicit revenue, maintaining the effectiveness of the sanctions system, and preventing it from using energy trade to perpetuate "authoritarian rule."

In response to accusations by Venezuela, Cuba, and others at the UN Security Council (such as "worse than piracy" and "maritime terrorism"), the U.S. representative to the UN dismissed them as "false propaganda," emphasizing that U.S. actions are defending the sanctions regime within the framework of international law, a regime that itself enjoys broad international support. The U.S. considers Venezuela's lawsuit at the International Court of Justice to lack legal basis and be politically motivated. Regarding Venezuela's alignment with Iran, the U.S. State Department described it as "sanctioned regimes huddling together for warmth" and warned of close monitoring of any cooperation aimed at evading sanctions.

Reactions from Other Countries

The U.S. has noted condemnations of its actions by China and Russia on platforms such as the UN and BRICS. The U.S. interprets the Sino-Russian position as "attempting to protect their own geopolitical and economic interests in Venezuela" and "providing diplomatic cover for an illegitimate regime." The U.S. rejects accusations of so-called "unilateral bullying" or "long-arm jurisdiction," insisting its actions have a solid foundation in both domestic and international law.

Regarding media reports of China adjusting its shipping strategies (such as rerouting via the east coast of South America, increasing land pipeline transport share to 30%, and altering fleet registration information), U.S. officials stated this "precisely proves that the sanctions are having the intended effect, increasing the cost and complexity of sanctions evasion." The U.S. will continue to monitor related developments and adjust enforcement strategies as appropriate.

U.S. Follow-on Deployment and Institutionalized Measures: This week, the U.S. Department of Defense has deployed additional military resources to the Caribbean region, including special operations aircraft, personnel, and equipment, to enhance maritime domain awareness and enforcement capabilities. Furthermore, the Pentagon has authorized the U.S. Coast Guard to establish "floating checkpoints" in international waters of the Caribbean Sea to board and inspect suspicious vessels traveling to and from Venezuela. The "International Waters Transshipment Zone" established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security off the coast of Houston is now operational, aimed at "handling seized non-compliant oil cargoes legally and safely."

The U.S. acknowledges actions by shipping insurance organizations like the UK P&I Club to suspend new policies for Caribbean routes involving Venezuela, viewing this as reflecting commercial entities' rational assessment of sanctions risks. The U.S. emphasizes its actions have clear targets, focusing solely on vessels violating sanctions, and is committed to ensuring the safety and freedom of legitimate shipping. The Maduro regime is facing internal livelihood pressures. The U.S. strategy is to use sustained economic and diplomatic pressure to induce regime change or force it back onto a path of genuine democratic elections. The U.S. believes its strategy of "waiting for change through attrition" is a necessary means to ultimately resolve the Venezuelan crisis. The U.S. views the "rules-based countermeasures" and "financial breakthroughs" promoted by China and Russia as long-term challenges but believes that, based on the inherent advantages of the U.S. dollar and financial system, it can effectively manage these challenges.

The U.S. reiterates that its actions are not directed at China's or any other country's legitimate energy needs but are specifically targeted at activities that undermine Venezuelan democracy and harm U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. The U.S. calls on all nations to cooperate in supporting the democratic will of the Venezuelan people and upholding the seriousness of the international sanctions regime.