WILLEMSTAD - A Russian oil tanker heading for Venezuela abruptly reversed course this week after a U.S. Navy warship blocked its path in the Caribbean. The confrontation adds to escalating tensions in the region involving Russian, Venezuelan and American military activity.

The tanker, named Seahorse, was en route to deliver fuel to Venezuela when the USS Stockdale, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, positioned itself directly in its route. In response, the Russian vessel changed course and diverted toward Cuba.

The Seahorse reportedly attempted twice more to reach Venezuelan waters but turned back each time. It is currently stationary somewhere in the Caribbean.

Motives Remain Unclear

The reason behind the U.S. Navy’s decision to obstruct the tanker is unknown. A spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg.

The USS Stockdale has been operating in the Caribbean since late September as part of an expanded U.S. naval presence in the region. The destroyer is one of more than a dozen American warships supporting President Trump’s intensified anti-drug operations and broader military posture in the hemisphere.

As geopolitical tensions rise, the incident marks yet another show of force in the increasingly contested waters between Venezuela and neighboring Caribbean states.