A sharp rebuke came from senior Democratic lawmakers—and at least one Republican—over the Wednesday seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, with one critic accusing former President Trump of “sleepwalking us into a war.”
Washington’s mood on the region appears to be turning increasingly uneasy, even across party lines, as the administration steps up its military posture in the Caribbean. Trump has linked Venezuela to drug trafficking and has boosted U.S. naval presence in the area to levels not seen in many years. The administration has also carried out strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking, actions that have resulted in more than 80 deaths to date.
Trump announced the tanker seizure shortly after it happened, telling reporters: “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela—large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized, actually.” When questioned about what would happen to the oil, he replied, “We keep the oil, I guess!”
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggested the move betrayed the administration’s stated rationale and signaled a broader agenda. “This shows that their whole cover story—that this is about interdicting drugs—is a big lie,” Van Hollen said. “This is another instance of behavior that points toward regime change by force.”
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) warned on NewsNation that seizing an oil tanker could be viewed as an act of war and questioned whether it is the federal government’s job to hunt for enemies and start wars around the world.
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) expressed serious concern, telling the same outlet that he did not understand the rationale for seizing the vessel and feared it could drag the U.S. into conflict with Venezuela.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) highlighted perceived inconsistencies in policy, noting on social media: “So they can seize an oil tanker, but not a drug boat?”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer dodged a direct answer when CNN pressed him on whether the administration’s aim is regime change in Venezuela, citing the president’s erratic messaging as making it hard to discern real intentions. He added that Maduro’s potential departure would be preferable to many, but the lack of clarity made it difficult to back any specific course of action.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Coast Guard executed a seizure warrant against the vessel, which authorities say had long been transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran as part of a network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
Venezuela’s government decried the move as “blatant theft and international piracy,” claiming it laid bare U.S. aggression aimed at exploiting the country’s natural resources and energy supplies.
Not everyone opposing the measure was in full agreement. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) offered a guarded reaction, suggesting Trump’s actions were aimed at protecting American lives by going after drug traffickers rather than signaling broader confrontation.
In a separate episode last November, when Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command condemned the action as a clear breach of international law that jeopardizes the freedom of navigation and commerce.
Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) called the tanker seizure a “very dangerous escalation and a prelude to potential conflict.” He, along with Senators Rand Paul, Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chuck Schumer, recently filed a war powers resolution seeking congressional authorization before any further military engagement with Venezuela.
The administration has deployed what it calls the Caribbean’s largest naval presence since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, framing the mission as targeting narco-terrorists. Yet a May DEA report indicates fentanyl mostly enters the U.S. through Chinese-produced materials and Mexican trafficking networks, while cocaine is primarily sourced from Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, raising questions about the focus and effectiveness of current policy.
