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Russia's Foreign Ministry has quietly begun evacuating families of its diplomats from Venezuela, starting Friday, including women and children.
A European intelligence official described Russian assessments of the situation there in "very grim tones," signaling Moscow's growing alarm over stability in the Maduro stronghold.
This comes as the Trump administration intensifies its pressure on Nicolas Maduro's socialist dictatorship.
U.S. Coast Guard vessels are pursuing a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean, part of what officials call Venezuela's "dark fleet" used to evade sanctions on crude exports.
President Donald Trump met Monday at Mar-a-Lago with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
The White House described the session as preparation for a "major announcement," though one official mentioned discussions on a shipbuilding initiative.
On Saturday, Coast Guard personnel seized the Panama-flagged tanker Centuries. It followed the December 10 seizure of another Panama-registered vessel, the Skipper. Both allegedly transported sanctioned Venezuelan crude.
More than 10 diplomatic-plated vehicles were seen outside Russia's embassy in Caracas Monday morning, though none departed visibly until afternoon.
Neither the White House nor the Kremlin commented.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Monday he spoke by telephone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who expressed Moscow's support against Trump's declared blockade.
Gil accused Washington of committing "attacks against vessels and extrajudicial executions, and the unlawful acts of piracy" in the Caribbean.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees the Coast Guard, said Monday the tanker operations aim to send "a message around the world that the illegal activity that Maduro is participating in cannot stand, he needs to be gone, and that we will stand up for our people."
The Defense Department has conducted 28 strikes since early September on smaller boats allegedly transporting narcotics, resulting in at least 104 deaths.
Critics, including U.S. lawmakers and human rights groups, have questioned the evidence linking targeted vessels to drug trafficking.
In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said of the Lavrov-Gil call, "The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington’s actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping."
"The Russian side reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context," it added."The ministers agreed to continue their close bilateral cooperation and to coordinate their actions on the international stage, particularly at the UN, in order to ensure respect for state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs."
On Telegram, Gil said he and Lavrov discussed "the aggressions and flagrant violations of international law being perpetrated in the Caribbean: attacks on vessels, extrajudicial executions and illicit acts of piracy carried out by the United States government."
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday on the crisis, at Venezuela's request, backed by Russia and China.
At Venezuelan refineries, economic strain is evident.
A shadow fleet tanker docked at El Palito through Sunday.
Beach parking attendant Manuel Salazar, 68, recalled busier times: "Up to nine or 10 tankers would wait out there in the bay. One would leave, another would come in. Now, look, one."
He added, "Before, during vacations, they'd have barbecues; now all you see is bread with bologna. Things are expensive. Food prices keep going up and up every day."
While Maduro clings to power with Russian backing, ordinary Venezuelans suffer, and Moscow's diplomats flee the chaos they've helped prolong.
Trump's tough stance is exposing the hollow alliances of these authoritarian axis powers—one tanker, one evacuation at a time.
