Posted on 12/22/2025 7:31:48 PM PST by Red Badger
Russia's Foreign Ministry has begun evacuating the families of diplomats from Venezuela, a European intelligence official told AP on Monday, as the United States pursues its third sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean and President Donald Trump convenes senior national security officials at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The evacuations, which started Friday and include women and children, come as Russian officials assess the situation in Venezuela in what the intelligence source described as "very grim tones." The withdrawals signal heightened concerns about stability in the South American nation as the Trump administration escalates its four-month pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro's government.
More than 10 vehicles bearing diplomatic license plates stood outside Russia's embassy in Caracas Monday morning, though no personnel were visible entering or exiting the compound. The vehicles had departed by early afternoon. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin responded to requests for comment.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Monday he spoke by telephone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who expressed Moscow's support against Trump's declared blockade. Gil accused Washington of committing "attacks against vessels and extrajudicial executions, and the unlawful acts of piracy" in the Caribbean.
Trump gathers security team as tanker interdictions continue
Trump's meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan comes as Coast Guard vessels continue tracking sanctioned tankers in Caribbean waters. The White House characterized the gathering as preparation for a "major announcement," with a White House official saying Trump planned to discuss a shipbuilding initiative.
Coast Guard cutters on Monday pursued for a second consecutive day a sanctioned tanker that officials describe as operating under a false flag and subject to a US judicial seizure order. The vessel is the third targeted in recent days as part of what the Trump administration calls Venezuela's "dark fleet" — ships used to evade US sanctions on oil exports.
On Saturday, Coast Guard personnel seized the Panama-flagged tanker Centuries, following the December 10 interdiction of another Panama-registered vessel, the Skipper. Both ships allegedly participated in transporting sanctioned Venezuelan crude oil through international waters.
Economic pressures visible at Venezuelan refineries
While US forces operated in international waters, a tanker identified by Transparencia Venezuela, an independent government watchdog, as part of the shadow fleet was observed moving between Venezuelan refineries, including a facility in El Palito, roughly three hours west of Caracas.
The vessel remained docked at the refinery through Sunday, as families visited the adjacent beach during the school holiday break. Manuel Salazar, who has worked parking cars at the beach for more than three decades, noted stark contrasts with earlier years when Venezuela's oil-dependent economy produced at least double the current 1 million barrels per day.
"Up to nine or 10 tankers would wait out there in the bay. One would leave, another would come in," said Salazar, 68. "Now, look, one."
Beach visitors recalled how tankers would sound their horns at midnight on New Year's Eve and launch fireworks to mark the holiday — traditions that have faded as the country's energy sector contracted.
"Before, during vacations, they'd have barbecues; now all you see is bread with bologna," Salazar said, referring to Venezuelan families at the beach. "Things are expensive. Food prices keep going up and up every day."
I wonder if POTUS made a courtesy call to Vlad.
It was once the wealthiest country in South America.
Then Chavez brought socialism to them...............
Back in the 1990’s, Venezuela made a lot of money from oil production with a lot of help from Chevron.
Probably, and Xi as well.........
Socialism is like that. The first sip of the cup is sweet. The rest is bitter.
Trump is playing a very dangerous game.
Russian subs could transfer nuclear missiles to new Russian bases in Venezuela.
The bases might be guarded by 10 Russian soldiers with pistols, and cases of vodka y putas.
You can vote your way in, but you have to shoot your way out..................
Guaranteed
Article suspect. I recall hearing about Russia withdrawing civilians a few months ago, particularly from the resort island.
This is all overhyped.
Question to AI: How many tankers have docked in Venezuela, loaded fuel and departed without being seized since Dec 10, when the first ship was taken?
Answer: There have been two VLCC tankers loaded with 1.9 million barrels each of oil for China that left Venezuela and were not stopped since Dec 10.
It’s not a total blockade. If this is about money, why aren’t SWIFT sanctions enough? Does all this mean SWIFT measures are a failure?
This is mostly hype about pressure.
I hear tell that those ‘oil tankers” are spy ships, complete with a few squads on station.
Let’s try not to bomb the Chinese embassy this time.
Somehow I don’t think that was an accident................
p
Pretty smart move wouldn’t you say?
If they have more oil than the Saudis perhaps a bit of socialism is called or. I’m thinking of the rebates Sarah Palin negotiated with the oil companies for all Alaskans. Give Venezuelans some skin in the game and they’ll never shut off the spigot. They’ll feel entitled to the point where the government wouldn’t dare turn against us.
Is Norway still divvying up its oil money with their citizens?
I wonder how many Venezuelan citizens are praying that the US liberate them from Nicolás Maduro. My sister in law is from Mexico (legal) and she told me Mexican citizens hope the US come in and annihilate all of the drug cartels.
I graduated from high school in Caracas (Dad was the Assessor of Plans and Programs for the Venezuelan Air Force as part of the MILGP. Venezuela was a beautiful, if left-leaning, nation at that time. I’m ecstatic but cautious about potential regime change, since we’ve done a crap job of it elsewhere and there’s a whole shadow society of elites who will use the confusion to line their pockets.
Colonel, USAF JAGC (Ret)
The Venezuelans I know are giddy with the prospect of getting their country back. They fled when Chavez came into power. A lot of them live in the Houston area.
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