Venezuela accuses US of ‘blatant theft’ after tanker seized in Caribbean
The Venezuelan government has accused the United States of “blatant theft” after it seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, it said in a statement.
What is known about the seized oil tanker
What happened off the coast of Venezuela?
The US seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean on Wednesday , allegedly part of an illegal network financing foreign terrorist organizations. A video released by US Attorney General Pam Bondi purports to show the operation, which involved, among others, the US Coast Guard. The video shows a tanker being approached by a helicopter. Soldiers then rappel onto the tanker’s deck and secure the vessel with weapons drawn. The crew is not visible.
What is the US’s justification for seizing the tanker?
According to Attorney General Bondi, the tanker was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. FBI Director Kash Patel made a similar statement. The ship has been subject to United States sanctions for several years, and the soldiers have now executed a seizure warrant, he said.
For months, the US, under President Donald Trump, has been exerting intense pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The US military has repeatedly shelled boats off the Venezuelan coast, allegedly smuggling drugs into the US. According to the US government, at least 80 people have been killed in these attacks. Trump has also not ruled out attacks on land.
According to the New York Times and other media outlets, Trump has repeatedly discussed various scenarios with high-ranking military officials. One very risky scenario reportedly involves bringing some of Venezuela’s oil fields under US control.
Which route did the oil tanker take?
Little reliable information exists regarding the tanker’s origin. According to the British risk management group Vanguard, the vessel in question is the tanker Skipper, which, according to the Guyanese government, was falsely sailing under the flag of the South American country. The tanker had previously been sanctioned by the US for allegedly participating in Iranian oil trade under the name Adisa . The news portal Politico , citing an anonymous source, reports that the tanker was en route to Cuba.
The Guyanese Maritime Authority stated that it had been informed of the seizure by the US government. It described the practice of ships illegally using the Guyanese flag as an unacceptable trend.
How is Venezuela reacting?
The Venezuelan government accused the US of “blatant theft.” The operation was “a brazen robbery and an act of international piracy,” the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry stated. Now, “the true reasons” for the ongoing aggression against Venezuela are becoming clear. The US is not concerned with migration, drug trafficking, or democracy. “It is always about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the people of Venezuela,” the Foreign Ministry declared. The Venezuelan government announced it would denounce the seizure of the tanker before international bodies.
