U.S. Coast Guard Strikes at Venezuelan “Ghost Fleet” in Unprecedented Crackdown on Narco-Terrorism

By Brian Freeman | Wednesday, January 7, 2026

The Trump administration’s back-to-back Coast Guard operations targeting Venezuelan-linked “ghost fleet” tankers send a warning to criminal networks and hostile regimes that the United States will no longer tolerate narco-terrorism or illicit oil trafficking, Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said Wednesday.

Hagerty, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke Wednesday about the coordinated maritime seizures following a classified emergency briefing he attended. He praised the operations announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Hagerty described the actions as a decisive break from years of empty rhetoric under previous administrations.

“The world is on notice that we are not going to tolerate this anymore,” Hagerty said. “President Trump has delivered not with words, but with actions. This isn’t a presidency that’s doing press releases.”

“What you saw in previous administrations is a lot of talk but not a lot of action. President Trump has stepped up and taken decisive action here to take out one of the greatest narco-terrorists,” Hagerty added.

He pointed to the Coast Guard’s pre-dawn boarding of two tanker ships — one in the North Atlantic and another in international waters near the Caribbean — as evidence of a zero-tolerance strategy aimed at cutting off funding streams tied to narco-terrorism and corruption.

Noem stated that the vessels were either last docked in Venezuela or en route there, and warned criminal actors that U.S. enforcement efforts will not relent.

“The world’s criminals are on notice,” Noem said in a statement. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

Hagerty echoed that message, saying the operations reflect unprecedented coordination among the U.S. military, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement under Trump’s leadership.

He noted that the tanker seizures are part of a broader initiative announced by President Trump to take control of 30 to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, ensuring it is sold on the open market rather than diverted to adversaries or criminal networks.

According to Hagerty, proceeds from the oil sales will be directed toward stabilizing Venezuela’s economy and supporting public workers, rather than enriching corrupt officials or gangs.