Venezuela has accused the United States of waging an unofficial war against its government, warning the UN Security Council that the Caribbean nation is only the “first target” in Washington’s alleged plan for continental dominance.

Venezuela’s UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada, addressed the 15-member Security Council on Tuesday, highlighting what he described as “ongoing US aggression” against the country.

Moncada claimed that US military strikes and the recent naval blockade against Venezuelan oil tankers are part of a broader strategy outlined in Washington’s National Security Strategy, which he said reflects ambitions across the Latin American continent.

US naval blockade and oil seizures

Earlier this month, the White House imposed a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers sanctioned by the US, a move Moncada described as a “military act aimed at laying siege to the Venezuelan nation.”

According to Moncada, US forces have seized at least two oil tankers, confiscating around 4 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. The ambassador denounced the operation as “a robbery carried out by military force,” asserting that the US is acting without congressional approval, violating both international and domestic law.

Washington defends actions

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, defended the blockade as a “law enforcement” measure executed by the US Coast Guard under existing sanctions. Waltz argued that Venezuelan oil finances drug cartels, which the Trump administration considers the “single most serious threat” in Latin America.

He also pointed to earlier US designations of Venezuelan cartels, including the “Cartel de los Soles,” as terrorist organizations, claiming they support Maduro’s government and fuel criminal activity.

President Nicolas Maduro has denied allegations of cartel involvement, describing US claims as a pretext for “regime change.” Moncada told the UN that the real motive is control over Venezuela’s oil, minerals, and land, not drug enforcement.

“Today, the masks have come off,” Moncada said. “It is not drugs, it is not security, it is not freedom. It is oil, it is mines, and it is land.”

Russia’s UN ambassador weighed in, warning that US intervention in Venezuela could set a dangerous precedent for military actions against other Latin American nations.

The Venezuelan diplomat insisted that the US is attempting to divide the continent “piece by piece” to consolidate power over the region’s strategic resources.