The Venezuela Thread

US forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.



Presumably it's the Guyana-flagged "Skipper" - involved in trade with China.

This oil tanker was en route to Cuba, the Cuba- Venezuela bond is strong and Chavez spent a few years of his intellectually formative years in Havana. Cuba has for decades voluntarily functioned as a Soviet forward base, many of the US' contemporary leftists were frequent guests in Castro's Cuba. After a brief intermezzo the current Moscow- Havana relationship has bounced back to that earlier level, Russia is heavily invested in Cuba and these Moscow friendly regimes serve as a counterweight to any moves in Europe or the Indo-Pacific.

Back to the intercepted oil tanker, like Venezuela the Cuban economy is also in freefall. As Giuliano pointed out in that linked video, Cuba is currently experiencing a massive energy crisis, regular 24+ hour blackouts. Their main sources of fuel were Mexico and Venezuela. Mexico has been strong-armed by DC into giving up this commie lifeline already, yet Venezuela is still transporting large amount of oil to Cuba to keep the latter on life support.

Take Venezuela out and Cuba will start crumbling too, two birds with one stone kinda scenario. Personally I expect the Russians to step in if that happens, Russia's shadow fleet will provide the oil necessary to keep the commies in Havana in power. Moscow is heavily invested in Cuba, and Russian shadow tankers are already getting intercepted by US Navy patrols in the Western Hemisphere.







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This tanker was under US sanctions since 2022 for her role in an Iranian oil smuggling operation. And that's the formal reason for the seizure.
The fact that they seized her while en route Cuba is a bonus. Navy could have easily done it last month on her way back from China, but they decided to wait until she's fully loaded and sailing to Cuba, striking two birds with one stone.



That's outdated - after messing around with that tanker for a week, US Navy let them through.



But back to Venezuelan tankers. Looks like "Skipper" could be just the beginning of a larger crack down, as the US Treasury just announced a new round of sanctions targeting Maduro's oil trade. And with the US Navy present just off the coast, these tankers might find it difficult to sail back for another load.

 
^^^
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Nicolas Maduro, the tinpot crackhead commie narcodictator has struck yet again. In a move rivalled by only the wackiest of African tyrants, Maduro has ordered that in Venezuela Christmas from hereon will be celebrated on October 1.

Ergo yesterday was a day of festivities, and the main fireworks show orchestrated right over South America's biggest prison, el Helicoide. Which is also the prison where thousands of political prisoners are held.




After ordering Christmas to be celebrated on October 1, crackpot narcocommie Nicolas Maduro by presidential decree has today ordered the New Year to begin on December 11. It's already 2026 in Venezuela.



 
After US forces seized "Skipper", tankers sailing to Venezuela are turning around.
A tanker carrying Russian naphtha for Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and at least four supertankers due to pick up crude cargoes in Venezuela have made u-turns after the U.S. seized a vessel carrying Venezuelan crude, ship monitoring data showed on Monday.
 
Venezuelan MoD Vladimir Padrino was filmed conducting a presser with a FlightRadar map in the background, Venezuela's air defence is at least in part based off a live flight tracker. These scenes are reminiscent of the 9 Day Iran War last year when IRGC bigwigs were caught using Google Docs, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to discuss and transfer highly classified documents and have conversations. And then acted surprised when missiles flew into their kitchen windows, average lifespan of IRGC top dogs was barely a few days. Topped off by the usual gullible and totally deluded Westoid chuds cheering on Iran's asswhooping whilst demonstrating an almost religious belief in imminent victory, we all remember how that ended. These antics feel the same, and will lead to the same results.

Going on a slight tangent, despite being reliant on FlightRadar for the military defence of his country and having 80- 90 percent of the population living below the poverty line, Maduro thinks that Venezuela will soon catch up in the chip manufacturing race - man held up a massive 90s era Macintosh chip to prove his point. Now of the belief that Nicky M. is hooked on that Colombian marching powder he's been sending up North by the tonnes, ain't no other explanation for this comedy.



 
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I don't think Trump's team is this stupid, but we will find out tonight.


Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not American, but doesn't Congress alone have the constitutional authority to formally declare war against a foreign power?

(Don't get me wrong...morally, I wouldn't mind if Uncle Sam bombed the Maduro regime into the Paleolithic Era...the only real tragedy would be the possible loss of all of those :love: nubile young Venezuelan women.)
 
Declassified letter written to President Trump from the former Director of Military Intelligence inside the Maduro regime. Confirming:

1. The regime was never sovereign. Cuba & Iran ran it from the shadows.

2. Cartel of the Suns (military generals) turned Venezuela into the #1 cocaine transshipment hub on earth.

3. FARC, ELN, and Hezbollah were given Venezuelan passports, training camps, and diplomatic cover. Tren de Aragua gangs were deliberately exported north as a weapon.

4. Smartmatic was engineered in Caracas with the stated goal of keeping socialists in power “forever” and then quietly seeded into multiple countries, including the U.S.

5. U.S. agencies and diplomats were paid or pressured to look the other way while China and Russia built bases 90 miles off our coast.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not American, but doesn't Congress alone have the constitutional authority to formally declare war against a foreign power?

(Don't get me wrong...morally, I wouldn't mind if Uncle Sam bombed the Maduro regime into the Paleolithic Era...the only real tragedy would be the possible loss of all of those :love: nubile young Venezuelan women.)
According to the constitution, yes. Though they always find a loophole around this clause, if need be. With that said, most everyone in DC is owned by the same satanic elites, so if they want war, they will get their war.
 
Declassified letter written to President Trump from the former Director of Military Intelligence inside the Maduro regime. Confirming:

1. The regime was never sovereign. Cuba & Iran ran it from the shadows.

2. Cartel of the Suns (military generals) turned Venezuela into the #1 cocaine transshipment hub on earth.

That is laughably false, even the US DEA would deny this.
 
US forces seized a second tanker.
In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you. Thank you to our brave men and women of the @USCG and @DeptofWar.

 
3rd tanker seized. This time, sailing empty to Venezuela.

Between October 2021 and September 2025, the US OFAC-sanctioned BELLA 1 (9230880) had directly exported 7.3 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, as well as 3.7 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil; both to China. She has also received (via STS transfer) 7.4 million barrels of Iranian crude and 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan oil prior to delivery to China.
At the time of her arrest today, she was empty of cargo while approaching Venezuela with much hesitation/caution following the arrest of SKIPPER (9304667). We haven't seen her in Venezuela since 2023.
 
As far as sanctions go, the profits generated by Citgo were flowing into the country until 2019. The ship seizures are a very recent thing. Cuba likes to point to the trade embargo with the US as the source of all their economic ills, even though they could get everything they needed from other countries.

If the Suns Cartel is still active, how does it survive in an authoritarian country without being destroyed- the jungle isn't as dense. LatAm has very corrupt people, but whatever you want to do, you must have 'permission'.
 
I am surprised at how Trump has seized on Venezuela as a target of military action and government overthrow. He has generally avoided this kind of thing in his two terms up to now. I can't see that the US really has a sufficient cause of war against Venezuela. I do consider their government a disaster for their country, and I can believe that their government is tied to organized crime and drug smuggling. However, I really don't want to see a "you break it you bought it" policy leaving us in charge there and trying to fix all their problems with gigabucks. Even if we arrange contracts for US oil companies to take over their oil industry and pay royalties into the US backed regime, it seems like it will be a quagmire.

I'd leave Maduro in place let them deal with their own problems. I'm fine with blowing up drug boats and arresting their gang members in the US, but actual war against Venezuela doesn't seem like a good idea at all.

Does anyone have a counter argument on this?
 
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