The Trump administration’s decisive interdictions of oil tankers near Venezuela are a welcome turn toward American strength in a dangerous neighborhood, not an act of panic. For too long the Maduro regime has bled its people and the region dry while shipping oil to hostile powers and enriching narco-terror networks. When the policy tools and teeth of the United States are finally brought to bear to choke off that funding, patriots should applaud, not apologize.
U.S. forces, led by the Coast Guard with Navy support, boarded and seized vessels tied to Venezuela’s shadow fleet after they left Venezuelan terminals carrying crude bound for buyers overseas. The tankers identified in recent operations include the Skipper and the Panama‑flagged Centuries, and officials say some of these ships used false names and transponder tricks to hide their cargo runs. This is enforcement of sanctions and maritime law, and it targets the very shadowy shipping practices that let Maduro’s cronies and allied bad actors steal and traffic Venezuela’s lifeblood.
Predictably, Caracas and its allies howl “piracy” while doing everything possible to hide the corruption that lets their regime survive. Leftist leaders and international posturers will posture about sovereignty while refusing to ask why billion‑dollar oil flows keep propping up a narco‑state. The U.S. move is uncomfortable for tyrants, and that discomfort is a sign the policy is working — choking the cash that bankrolls repression and drug trafficking.
Senator Dave McCormick was exactly right on Fox’s The Sunday Briefing when he defended the administration’s hard line and urged Republicans to keep the pressure on Maduro until the kleptocrats stop stealing from their own people — and from America’s security. McCormick’s voice is the patriot’s voice: America must use every lawful tool to defend its interests, stop the flow of fentanyl, and deny regimes that wage narco‑terrorism the funds to do it. Conservatives should rally behind leaders who act instead of wringing hands and waiting for the next catastrophe.
This is also about energy security and getting tough on nations and networks that sponsor our enemies. For too long American energy and investment were treated as remote grievances while dictators shipped product to adversaries; now the U.S. is reclaiming leverage and protecting the supply chains that matter to American workers and national security. If the left ever cared about energy independence or corporate property rights, they wouldn’t be howling at a policy that targets criminal trade and strengthens American deterrence.
Yes, some in Washington are demanding more briefings and legal posturing, and a handful of lawmakers express concern about escalation — that’s what politics looks like when cowards and careerists try to slow a bold strategy. But the alternative is paralysis while cartels and tyrants laugh all the way to the tanker. Responsible Republicans should back measured but muscular action, insist on proper oversight, and refuse to be the safety valve for left‑wing appeasement. Our job is to protect American lives and sovereignty, not to protect Maduro.
This moment calls for grit, not gutlessness. Keep the pressure on — economically, legally, and, yes, militarily where justified — until Venezuela’s kleptocrats can no longer bankroll terror and trafficking. Patriots know that freedom for the Venezuelan people and safety for American families go hand in hand, and we should stand with leaders who choose action over equivocation. Support our sailors and soldiers, back principled Republicans like Sen. McCormick who defend strength, and don’t let the media or the swamp drag us back into weakness.
