Pentagon touts success of Caribbean Sea blockade in deterring 'dark fleet' oil vessels

War Department spokesman Sean Parnell said Friday night that the War Department's blockade in the Caribbean has been effective in deterring “dark fleet” oil vessels in the past 24 hours.

President Donald Trump ordered a "complete and total" blockade of oil tankers moving in and out of Venezuela last month, which has resulted in the seizure of at least five oil tankers.

Parnell said in a social media post that the blockade remains in effect, even after the United States last week extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from the country, and that it has been "very effective." 

"In the past 24 hours alone, at least seven 'dark fleet' oil vessels have turned around to avoid interdiction—because they know we mean business," Parnell wrote on X. "The days of letting criminal activity run rampant in our hemisphere are OVER thanks to President Trump and [War] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth. 

"The Department of War, alongside our interagency partners, will hunt down and interdict ALL dark fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at the time and place of our choosing," he added.

Trump previously claimed Venezuela is using "stolen" oil to finance itself and to fund actions including terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage