US Seizes Oil Tanker Belonging to Venezuela
The United States has taken a significant step in its efforts to squeeze Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of office by seizing an oil tanker belonging to Venezuela. On Wednesday, December 10, US helicopters carried armed camouflaged troops to board and seize the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) ship, named Skipper, which was carrying approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuela’s Merey heavy crude.
The seizure is part of a larger campaign to stop Venezuela from continuing its illicit drug running and forcing a change in President Maduro’s government. The US has been enforcing sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports since 2019, but this marks the first time an oil tanker has been taken into US custody.
Sanctions Enforced
The US wants Venezuela out of the deadly drug-running business, out of human trafficking, and out of all other international criminal pursuits. In a mid-November phone conversation between President Trump and Maduro, the US leader gave the Venezuelan strongman an opportunity to get out of town. Maduro failed to take the chance to leave.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi explained that the oil tanker had been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. The seizure was conducted safely and securely, and the investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security continues to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil.
Tanker’s History
The ship’s name is Skipper, and it was previously sanctioned under the name Adisa. Under the name Adisa, the tanker was sanctioned in 2022, but no action was taken to stop its operations. The Skipper had attempted to hide its location by transmitting a false position via its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder.
While satellite imagery showed the vessel docked at Barcelona, Venezuela, the AIS had the VLCC “560 miles away, off the coast of Georgetown, Guyana.” Furthermore, “The tanker was flying a Guyana flag, despite not being registered in Guyana, the country’s Maritime Administration Department said in a statement posted to Facebook,” CNN reported.
Caracas Officials Not Happy
As one might expect, Caracas officials are not happy about the seizure. The move is seen as a significant escalation of the US-Venezuela standoff and a demonstration of the seriousness of US intentions. The US wants Venezuela out of the drug-running business, out of human trafficking, and out of all other international criminal pursuits.
The Trump administration’s actions aim to put teeth in the 2019 sanctions on Venezuelan oil to curtail transportation to Iran. The seizure is part of a larger campaign to stop Venezuela from continuing its illicit activities and forcing a change in President Maduro’s government.
Original Article: US Seizes an Oil Tanker Belonging to Venezuela – Liberty Nation News — Libertynation