The United States is pursuing an oil tanker in waters near Venezuela, according to multiple news agency reports.
According to Reuters and the Associated Press reports each citing an unnamed US official, Washington considered the ship part of Venezuela’s “sanctioned dark fleet” under “Venezuelan Illegal Sanctions Evasion”.
Both reports cited a US official as saying that a false flag was flown on the ship and that the US had placed it under a judicial seizure order.
Reuters, citing a separate official, said the tanker was not boarded and the interception could also have taken the form of sailing close to the vessel being pursued.
Why is the US blocking Venezuelan oil tankers?
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
On Truth Social, Trump also announced that he was designating the Venezuelan regime as “a foreign terrorist organization.” He cited reasons including theft of assets, terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
The US Coast Guard seized an oil tanker near Venezuela on Saturday. It was the second ship taken by Washington in the operation, the first tanker being seized the previous week.
Venezuela has condemned the seizure as “theft” and “international piracy” and vowed to defend its sovereignty and natural resources.
Trump has called on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down and suggested the US could launch airstrikes targeting Venezuela.
Washington, without presenting any evidence, accused Maduro’s government of having ties to the Cartel de los Sols criminal organization.
The US has destroyed several Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean in attacks over the past several months that it alleges were drug smuggling, killing at least 90 people.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko