US Imposes New Sanctions on Venezuela’s Oil Sector

Washington, Jan 1, 2026 — The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, escalating pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government as part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to curb the country’s energy exports.
According to Reuters, the sanctions announced on Wednesday target four companies involved in Venezuela’s oil trade, along with several oil tankers linked to them. The measures are aimed at traders and shipping operators accused of helping Caracas bypass existing US restrictions.
The sanctions come amid an expanded US military presence in the region. In recent weeks, Washington has also conducted operations against more than two dozen vessels in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on suspicion of drug trafficking. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump declared a blockade on all sanctioned ships entering or leaving Venezuelan waters, a move that has sharply reduced the country’s oil exports.
US Treasury Department officials said Venezuela’s crude exports have fallen to nearly half of their November levels following the enforcement of tighter controls. In a statement, the department said the latest sanctions specifically target oil traders assisting the Maduro government in evading restrictions.
Several of the sanctioned tankers were described as part of a so-called “shadow fleet” — aging vessels with opaque ownership structures and limited or no insurance, commonly used to transport sanctioned oil. The Treasury Department warned that any entities involved in Venezuela’s oil trade face the risk of severe penalties.
The sanctioned vessels include the Panama-flagged Nord Star, the Guinea-flagged Lunar Tide, and the Hong Kong-flagged Della. PDVSA documents show the tankers transported oil to Asia and the Caribbean this year. The Hong Kong-owned supertanker Valiant, operated by Aris Global Investment Limited, was also added to the sanctions list.
Tracking data showed the Della supertanker altered its route toward Asia on December 21 after heightened activity by the US Coast Guard, despite plans to load Venezuelan crude earlier in the month.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Trump had made it clear that profits from oil exports would not be allowed to sustain what he described as Maduro’s “illegitimate government.”
The Maduro administration has denied allegations of criminal activity, accusing Washington of attempting to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves through economic pressure. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the US blockade has left Venezuela’s export system largely paralyzed, with storage tanks nearing capacity and state oil company PDVSA struggling to keep its refineries operating.