The movements suggest a potential breaking of a strict blockade imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump before the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. troops in the early hours of Saturday morning. ADVERTISEMENTAll the identified vessels are under sanctions and most of them are supertankers that typically carry Venezuelan crude to China, according to TankerTrackers.com and shipping documents from state-run Venezuelan oil company PDVSA. Representatives of the White House, the U.S. State Department, PDVSA and Venezuela's oil ministry did not respond immediately to requests for comment outside of business hours early on Monday. Though President Trump said that the oil embargo had not been lifted, he added that Venezuela's largest customers, including China, would keep receiving oil. PDVSA had accumulated a large inventory of floating storage since the U.S. blockade began last month, dragging the country's oil exports to a standstill.

Source: The Telegraph January 05, 2026 14:19 UTC