U.S. Seizure of Venezuelan Tanker Sparks Congressional Alarm Over Potential War

By James Morley III | Wednesday, 10 December 2025 10:08 PM EST

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and other lawmakers renewed calls for congressional oversight on Wednesday following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. seized a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast. U.S. officials described the operation as a sanctions-enforcement action involving the Coast Guard and other agencies.

“It sounds a lot like the beginning of a war,” Paul told NewsNation’s Hannah Brandt, adding, “I’m not really in favor of beginning wars with other countries.”

Paul has been one of the most vocal and consistent GOP skeptics of the administration’s expanding Venezuela posture and recently teamed with Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Chuck Schumer of New York, and Adam Schiff of California on a War Powers Resolution aimed at blocking U.S. armed forces from engaging in hostilities “within or against” Venezuela without explicit authorization from Congress.

Paul said that while he “detests” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and socialism, it is not “the job of the American government to go looking for monsters around the world, looking for adversaries, and beginning wars.”

Democrats also pointed to the tanker seizure as part of a broader pattern of escalation. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told the outlet he is “gravely concerned that [Trump] is sleepwalking us into a war with Venezuela.”

Other Republicans were less definitive than Paul. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he would “look into it,” while Sens. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., stated they had not been briefed on the matter.

The seized tanker, known as the Skipper (previously called the Adisa), was linked to sanctioned oil networks by U.S. officials. Venezuela’s government condemned the action as “international piracy.”