The White House has directed military forces to enforce a quarantine on oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela for the next two months, with a focus on utilizing economic sanctions to achieve strategic objectives. A White House official indicated that while military options remain available, the primary approach is to apply economic pressure, which has already begun to significantly impact President Nicolás Maduro's government. Analysts suggest that this strategy could effectively target the regime's main source of revenue, potentially leading to concessions from Maduro without necessarily resulting in regime change.

Juan Gonzalez, a former National Security Council adviser on Latin America, characterized the strategy as sound for eliciting concessions, while Jason Marczak from the Atlantic Council noted that stricter enforcement of sanctions could further disrupt the financial resources supporting Maduro's administration. However, experts have cautioned that Venezuela has shown resilience in adapting to sanctions, and the overall impact of these measures remains uncertain.

U.S. officials assert that the seizure of oil tankers is legally justified under existing sanctions, distinguishing these actions from previous military operations against suspected drug-smuggling vessels. Nonetheless, there are growing concerns regarding the humanitarian implications of these measures, as oil revenue is vital not only for the Venezuelan government but also for the broader economy. This raises the risk of exacerbating humanitarian conditions and increasing migration from Venezuela. Gonzalez emphasized that maintaining a full embargo would be challenging due to these humanitarian concerns.

The pressure campaign has already led to significant developments, including the withdrawal of the Russian-linked oil company Cyprus Limited from Venezuela, citing the impact of international sanctions. In response to the U.S. actions, Caracas has condemned the tanker seizures, labeling them as "theft" and "international piracy."

Additionally, the U.S. military has increased its presence in the Caribbean Sea, pursuing the oil tanker Bella 1, which is currently in international waters. Officials are considering deploying a specialized Maritime Special Response Team to board the vessel, which is classified as a 'dark fleet vessel' under U.S. sanctions. The Bella 1 is associated with sanctioned Iranian oil and various Iranian proxy groups, raising concerns about the broader implications of such maritime pursuits. Meanwhile, two other tankers, the Skipper and the Centuries, have been successfully intercepted and redirected to Texas for the seizure of their oil cargoes.

The Trump administration's actions have drawn criticism from China and Russia, who argue that these measures violate international law and threaten regional stability. The administration's military strikes in the region, framed as efforts to combat drug trafficking, have raised bipartisan concerns regarding their legality and potential humanitarian consequences.