Venezuela Blames US for Cyber Attack on State Oil Company Amid Export Stoppage Reports
Caracas, Monday, 15 December 2025.
On December 15, 2025, Venezuela’s state-run oil company, PDVSA, formally accused the United States of orchestrating a cyber attack to paralyze its administrative systems. While officials insist operational continuity remains intact to calm market fears, internal sources contradict this narrative, reporting a total system shutdown that has effectively halted cargo deliveries. This digital incursion marks a severe escalation in geopolitical tensions following the recent U.S. seizure of the Skipper tanker and reports of military buildup in the Caribbean. As Caracas alleges a calculated strategy by Washington to seize energy assets, the discrepancy between official denials and reported export stoppages presents a critical risk to global supply chains.
Operational Reality vs. Official Rhetoric
While PDVSA’s official communiqué asserts that the attack was limited to administrative systems and successfully repelled by the “expertise of human talent,” reports from the ground paint a starkly different picture [2][6]. Four distinct sources indicate that systems remain offline, significantly disrupting oil cargo deliveries [1]. The situation is reportedly critical enough that one company source stated, “There’s no delivery (of cargoes), all systems are down” [1][5]. To mitigate the spread of the intrusion, PDVSA management has ordered administrative and operational staff to disconnect from corporate networks and has restricted facility access for indirect workers [1][5].
A Pattern of Escalation
This cyber incident is not an isolated event but rather the latest flashpoint in a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Washington and Caracas. It follows the December 10 announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the seizure of the tanker Skipper [3][4]. This confiscation represents the first U.S. capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since the imposition of sanctions in 2019 [1][5]. Although the vessel was transporting Venezuelan crude, U.S. authorities justified the seizure by citing the ship’s alleged links to Iranian oil smuggling and sanctions dating back to 2022 [3][4].
Economic Fallout
The economic consequences of this standoff are already materializing. The seizure of the Skipper has precipitated a sharp decline in Venezuelan oil exports, a development that is exacerbating the energy crisis in allied nations like Cuba, which is currently facing daily electricity outages [1][5]. In its response to the cyber attack, the Venezuelan government has employed emotive rhetoric, accusing the U.S. and “stateless” domestic accomplices of attempting to “steal Christmas” from the Venezuelan people [2][6]. As of Monday, the U.S. State Department has not responded to requests for comment regarding the cyber attack allegations [1].