USS Stockdale intercepts Russian ship near Venezuela as $3B lifeline ends
Posted on 12/09/2025 9:42:36 AM PST by dennisw
The interception of a sanctioned Russian tanker by the USS Stockdale near Venezuela has turned a slow-burning sanctions story into a visible test of sea power, energy leverage, and political resolve in the Caribbean. As Washington tightens the screws on fuel shipments that have been worth roughly 3 billion dollars to Nicolás Maduro's government, the encounter signals that the era of quiet workarounds is giving way to open contests on the water.
I see this clash as more than a one-off naval drama. It is the moment when a shadowy sanctions evasion network, a fragile petrostate, and a resurgent U.S. maritime posture collide, with consequences that will ripple from Venezuelan refineries to Russian balance sheets and regional security planning.
The USS Stockdale's high-stakes move in the Caribbean The USS Stockdale did not simply passively monitor a Russian vessel near Venezuela, it actively inserted itself between a sanctioned tanker and its destination, turning a routine sanctions run into a high-stakes confrontation. By maneuvering in the Caribbean to block a fuel delivery, the guided missile destroyer signaled that U.S. policy is shifting from paperwork and penalties to physical interdiction at sea, a far more visible and risky form of pressure on Russia and its partners.
That choice reflects a calculation in Washington that the cost of letting these shipments proceed, both in terms of sanctions credibility and regional influence, now outweighs the risks of a naval standoff.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
So…we are doing blockades?
That doesn’t look much like a Russian tanker!
> So…we are doing blockades? <
Evidently. And a blockade is an act of war.
I’m all in favor of intercepting cartel drug boats on the high seas. But this sort of thing (if true) is a step too far.
Just itching to start a war with Russia aren’t we.
This is why Trump likes Pete Hegseth.
Trump says — “Vlad has been ignoring me on Ukraine. We’ll show him what’s for. Go intercept one of his supply ships to Venezuela.”
Hegseth - When Boss?
Trump - Yesterday!
Hegseth - I’m on it Boss! I will be on the line with the sector commander within 30 minutes
Trump - Thanks! And Melania has picked out a very nice Christmas gift for your wife. And you both please come down to Mar-A-Lago within the Christmas time frame. With your children. We’ll find space for you.
USS Stockdale (DDG-106) is named after Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, a highly decorated U.S. naval aviator and Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War. The destroyer was launched on February 24, 2008, at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
Namesake
The ship honors Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale (1923–2005), who was the highest-ranking U.S. naval officer held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam and later received the Medal of Honor for his leadership and resistance in captivity.
Launch and commissioning
USS Stockdale was laid down on August 10, 2006, and launched on February 24, 2008, at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine.
It was christened in May 2008 and later commissioned into service on April 18, 2009, at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California, with San Diego as its homeport.
Beautiful!
Bunch of uninformed silliness
I hear less gossipy scenarios and pure theory at the nail salon
An undeclared act of war. Part of the “rules based” international order.
the highest-ranking U.S. naval officer held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam...
Also Vice Presidential candidate under Ross Perot 1992
Russia doesn’t want two military engagements and one that’s a half a world away.
We have stepped back on Ukraine and it is obvious Russia needs to now step back from screwing around in our half of the world.
Men understand this.
this sort of thing (if true) is a step too far.
~~~~~
Rhetorically speaking, if you allow Russia a safe influence zone which includes invading and killing Ukrainians then you have to allow the United States the same zone of local influence.
We have a choice. Either fight there to win, or fight here to win.
An act of Trumpishly Forcing the Issue.
> Men understand this. <
Reckless men, maybe.
Meanwhile so far all we have is talk from Trump about Maduro leaving.
Should have been elected over the two majors. Ross for boss.
The name of the Russian tanker is Seahorse. This is what AI has to say about all this:
The Russian oil tanker Seahorse last made port in Venezuela on November 23, 2025, anchoring at the Puerto La Cruz port city on the country’s northeastern coast.
It arrived after multiple attempts to reach Venezuela were disrupted by the U.S. destroyer USS Stockdale, which intercepted its route several times in late November.
The vessel had previously discharged its cargo of Russian naphtha at Venezuela’s Jose Terminal on October 27 before sailing to Cuba and then returning toward Venezuela.
AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.
This says there was no U turn. They arrived in port and offloaded cargo.
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