Venezuela condemns US oil tanker seizures at UN Security Council

(MENAFN) Venezuela’s permanent representative to the United Nations sharply criticized the United States on Tuesday over the seizure of oil tankers by US forces, calling the actions “state piracy” during an emergency session of the Security Council.

Samuel Moncada argued that the maneuvers represent a modern form of maritime crime executed by a sovereign power. He accused the Trump administration of seeking full control over Venezuela’s territory, oil reserves, and mineral resources under the explicit threat of armed intervention.

“Today the masks have come off,” Moncada said. “All the toxic excuses used to poison public opinion are confronted with a harsh reality: senior US officials announcing their real objectives. It is not drugs, it is not security, it is not freedom. It is oil, it is mines and it is land.”

He described these actions as a “confession of the crime of aggression” and an attempt at colonial annexation, invoking the Monroe Doctrine, and warned that Venezuela is merely the “first target” of a wider plan to dominate Latin America.

Moncada further characterized the naval blockade as a calculated military measure aimed at weakening Venezuela’s economic and military capabilities, eroding social cohesion, and creating conditions that could provoke external armed intervention. He also alleged that US forces are conducting electronic warfare in Venezuelan airspace, deliberately “blinding” civilian navigation instruments, and cited at least two “near-miss” incidents involving civilian aircraft.

Earlier, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz defended the measures, stating that Washington will enforce sanctions “to the maximum extent” to deprive the government of President Nicolas Maduro of resources allegedly funding criminal networks. Waltz linked oil revenues to the Cartel de los Soles and Tren de Aragua, both designated by the US as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

“The United States will enforce sanctions to the maximum extent to deprive Maduro of the resources he uses to fund the Cartel de los Soles,” Waltz said. “This includes profits from the sale of oil used to finance these cartels.” He described the sanctioned tankers as the “primary economic lifeline” for what he termed an “illegitimate regime,” and reiterated Trump’s intention to use the full strength of the US to dismantle drug cartels operating with impunity in the hemisphere.

Tensions remain high as the US continues its “maximum pressure” strategy, while Venezuela appeals to the UN Security Council to intervene and halt what it calls “state-sponsored extortion.” The emergency debate was convened at Venezuela’s request following the US blockade on sanctioned tankers.

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