US Seizes Sixth Venezuela Oil Tanker in Caribbean
U.S. Navy Seizes Sixth Tanker in Caribbean Amid Venezuela Oil Crackdown
The U.S. has seized a sixth tanker in the Caribbean Sea as it continues efforts to control Venezuelan oil exports, according to military officials. The vessel, Veronica, was boarded in a pre-dawn operation “without incident” while attempting to circumvent President Trump’s restrictions on sanctioned vessels.
“The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully,” U.S. Southern Command stated.
The seizure follows recent U.S.military actions in Venezuela and the removal of President Nicolás Maduro from power earlier this month.President Trump has indicated plans to access Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves.
“The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” U.S. Southern Command said in a social media post, accompanied by video of Marines and sailors boarding the ship.
Veronica, a crude oil tanker flying a Guyanese flag, left venezuelan waters empty in early January, according to TankerTrackers.com. tankertrackers.com provides monitoring services for global oil shipments.
The International Maritime Institution database shows the vessel was previously registered in Russia under different names.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated the operation was carried out with close collaboration between the military, State Department, and Justice Department. She praised the Coast Guard for a “flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law.”
The ongoing crackdown suggests Washington intends to continue targeting the “dark fleet”-more than 1,000 vessels used to transport sanctioned oil-as the U.S. works with Venezuela’s interim government to regulate oil sales.