Venezuela Cuts Energy Ties With Trinidad and Tobago After U.S. Seizes Tanker

Overview

• Venezuela said it will immediately terminate gas supply contracts with Trinidad and Tobago, accusing the neighbor of assisting the U.S. operation.
• The United States seized the tanker Skipper off Venezuela on Dec. 10 and says it will bring the vessel and its oil to U.S. shores, the first such cargo seizure since 2019.
• Caracas condemned the action as international piracy and said it will take the dispute to international bodies.
• Trinidad and Tobago authorized U.S. military aircraft to use its airports for logistical movements as Washington expands its Caribbean deployment.
• Regional and international reactions broadened, with ALBA leaders backing Nicolás Maduro, the EU extending sanctions to 2027, and PDVSA reporting an administrative cyberattack.