The US military captured another oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast. This occurred several days after US President Donald Trump issued an order to completely block all oil tankers entering and exiting Venezuela under American sanctions.
Caracas officials openly assessed this action as "theft" and stated that such steps by the US would not go unanswered. The Venezuelan government expressed its intention to use all opportunities in the international arena, including appealing to the UN Security Council.
This is the second case of tanker shutdown in two weeks. Notably, the captured vessel was not officially included in the US sanctions list. Therefore, the questions surrounding the incident increased even more.
In recent months, the US has sharply increased its military presence near the coast of Venezuela. While Washington attributes these actions to the fight against drug trafficking, Caracas has a different view. According to Venezuelan leadership, the US may be attempting to strengthen control over the country's natural resources, primarily oil, and change the political system.
According to reports, since September, the US has targeted more than 20 ships suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea. At least 87 people were reported dead as a result of these operations.
Recall that on December 10, the US also seized a large oil tanker called Skipper, which was under sanctions due to its relations with Iran. On December 20, the operation was carried out by the US Coast Guard with the support of the military. A special tactical group climbed onto the deck of a ship in international waters and stopped it.
US Secretary of Homeland Security, Christie Noem, posted a seven-minute video of the operation in a social media post, emphasizing that America is facing sanctions and will continue to fight against the oil turnover used to finance drug terrorism in the region.
According to media reports, the vessel Centuries, which was stopped on Saturday, was not on the US sanctions list. According to CNN, the ship, sailing under the Panamanian flag, was heading towards Asia. BBC Verify noted that the tanker belonged to China over the past five years and also operated under the flags of Greece and Liberia at different times.
Although US sanctions on Venezuelan oil remain, there are exceptions for some companies. In particular, the American company Chevron conducts drilling operations at a number of fields in Venezuela and cooperates with the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela.
These circumstances indicate that tensions in US-Venezuela relations are escalating. How this situation will turn out may become clearer in the coming weeks.
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