It is interesting to observe how the mainstream media has been silent regarding the US military’s confiscation of Venezuelan oil tankers and the destruction of fishing boats, which are allegedly used for drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, since September 2025. This silence persists despite over 30 strikes on these ‘narco-boats’ in the last four months, which have allegedly resulted in numerous fatalities.
The United States’ maritime operations in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to seize tankers linked to the Venezuelan oil trade and to disrupt alleged drug trafficking are part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. While other countries have denounced the seizure and destruction of fishing boats as violations of maritime law, the United States justifies these measures as enforcing sanctions against illegal activities.
Should we categorise this as piracy, armed robbery, or aggressive bullying?
While there is a sentiment that mainstream media provides inadequate coverage of maritime operations, specialised shipping news sources, including Maritime Executive, Lloyd’s List, and international bodies like IMB, consistently report on these incidents.
There is, though, some controversy over terminology. Are these strikes and seizures by the US military forces considered ‘maritime piracy’, and how does that compare to when Ansar Allah attacks in the Red Sea? It is about definitions!
The contrasting approaches of the United States and Ansar Allah forces, for example, showcase the vast difference between a global superpower and a non-state actor that utilises guerrilla-style combat. The US reportedly intends to weaken the Ansar Allah’s abilities, while the Ansar Allah aims to inflict economic damage on Israel, the US, and their partners.
Maritime operations can function as political tools. These are employed by both governmental and non-governmental actors to project power, apply economic leverage, deter threats, exert influence, and shape international relations. These operations frequently occur in critical strategic locations such as the Red Sea, the South China Sea, and, more recently, the Caribbean Sea.
The perception of oceans has shifted from being a universal space for navigation to also serving as crucial arenas of economic interdependence and power competition. Over 90 per cent of global trade by volume is carried out by sea.
So far, I have merely scratched the surface. The undersea realm is undergoing profound changes, presenting a critical vulnerability. The ocean floor itself has emerged as a strategic asset. An unseen yet crucial infrastructure exists, and its security is as vital as safeguarding airspace or cyberspace.
Beneath the surface lie millions of kilometres of fibre optic cables for the global Internet; the backbone of energy interconnectors, the expanding infrastructure of the offshore wind industry, and an emerging layer of autonomous sensors and resident underwater vehicles.
Accidents, sabotage, acts of war, or conflicts on the seabed, even those employing relatively simple means, can lead to substantial damage.
The impact and consequences of maritime operations, on the surface or seabed, point to geopolitical shifts that intensify rivalries and force new alliances. It heightens economic volatility with increasing shipping costs, insurance premiums, financial market instability, and trade finance risks. It also erodes maritime order because attacks, strikes, or underwater ‘accidents’ challenge rules and norms.
As the ‘next geopolitical battleground’, the ocean is now a multi-domain arena — spanning from the surface to the deep sea and the seabed below — where nations compete for strategic leverage, secure economic supply chains, and race to secure critical minerals for green technology. The ocean is no longer just a space for transit; it is a contested domain where security, economics, and law collide. The existing framework of maritime rules and norms is signalling its inability to adapt to new challenges. Maritime domains thus become one of the principal arenas for power politics.
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