RoydadNaft –  The United States has imposed new sanctions on four companies accused of operating in Venezuela’s oil sector, along with four associated oil tankers, as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The Treasury Department announced the measures on Wednesday, targeting entities involved in evading sanctions to support Maduro’s government. Several of the sanctioned vessels are described as part of a “shadow fleet”—older tankers with unclear ownership and inadequate insurance that help transport sanctioned oil.

The targeted tankers include the Panama-flagged Nord Star, Guinea-flagged Lunar Tide (or similar variants noted in reports), and Hong Kong-flagged Della and Valiant. These ships have carried Venezuelan crude or fuel to Asia and the Caribbean this year, according to PDVSA records and tracking data. The supertanker Della, which was set to load crude at Venezuela’s Jose port, abruptly changed course on December 21 after a U.S. Coast Guard interception attempt and is now heading to Asia.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated: “President Trump has been clear: We will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs.”

The actions follow Trump’s recent announcement of a blockade on sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuelan waters, which has already slashed the country’s oil exports to roughly half of November’s levels. This has led to fuel inventory buildup, forcing PDVSA to take emergency steps to prevent refinery shutdowns.

Maduro’s government denies any involvement in drug trafficking and accuses the U.S. of seeking regime change to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves. The Venezuelan communications ministry did not respond to requests for comment.