US Seizes 6th Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker in Bold Strike
The US seizes its 6th Venezuela-linked oil tanker as part of Trump’s crackdown on sanctioned exports, signaling bold action in the Caribbean.
Officials say the United States has seized a sixth tanker in the Caribbean Sea as part of its ongoing efforts to control Venezuela's oil exports.
The U.S. military said the vessel, named Veronica, was seized in a pre-dawn operation "without incident" for violating President Donald Trump's "sanctioned vessel quarantine."
"Only oil that is properly and legally coordinated will leave Venezuela," the Southern Command said.
Since U.S. military actions against Venezuela and its president, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this month, Trump has said he plans to utilize the country's vast oil reserves.
"The Veronica is the latest tanker to violate the sanctioned vessel quarantine established by President Trump in the Caribbean," the U.S. Southern Command said in a social media post.
They also posted a video showing Marines and sailors boarding the tanker.
According to the monitoring service TankerTrackers.com, the Veronica, a crude oil tanker flying the Guyanese flag, left Venezuelan waters empty in early January.
Data from the International Maritime Organization database shows the vessel was previously registered in Russia under different names.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen posted on social media that the seizure of the tanker on Thursday was conducted in "close coordination with our partners" in the military, as well as the State and Justice Departments.
"Our brave Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawless operation, in accordance with international law," Nielsen added. This indicates that Washington's crackdown on the so-called "dark fleet," comprising more than 1,000 vessels that transport sanctioned oil, will continue as the US works with Venezuela's interim government to control the country's oil sales.
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This comes a day after a US official said the US had completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil, worth $500 million (£373 million).
Last week, Trump reportedly asked oil executives at the White House to invest $100 billion in Venezuela's energy infrastructure. He said significant changes would be needed to make the country an attractive investment.
According to Matt Smith, head of US analysis at Kepler, the blockade has significantly reduced Venezuelan oil exports, with only Chevron-affiliated vessels bound for the US operating normally.
He said loadings this month have been almost halved to around 400,000 barrels per day. The company said the Veronica, a small tanker owned by a sanctioned entity, was one of about 17 vessels that attempted to break the blockade earlier this month.
Smith said it was unclear why vessels in the so-called dark fleet would risk seizure, but he cited the financial losses incurred by delays. "If a tanker was supposed to be carrying crude oil and it's not able to, that's a loss of money," he said.
He added that the US quarantine had created a bottleneck in supply that would otherwise primarily go to countries like China.
But as the US begins selling Venezuelan oil, he said there are signs the situation is changing, and some tankers are now heading to the Bahamas for storage. The latest tanker seizure occurred just hours before a meeting at the White House between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Trump had previously called her a "freedom fighter," but dismissed the idea of appointing her to lead Venezuela after Maduro's removal, arguing that she lacked sufficient support in the country. Instead, he has backed Maduro's former vice president,Delcy Rodríguez.
Trump refers to Rodríguez as an "ally," and U.S. officials have not accused her of any wrongdoing.
Machado is expected to use her meeting with Trump to try to convince him that his decision to support Rodríguez's interim government is a mistake, and that her opposition coalition should be given the responsibility for the transition.
A Venezuelan government envoy is also scheduled to travel to Washington on Thursday to meet with U.S. officials and take initial steps toward reopening the country's embassy.
The envoy is reportedly a close associate and friend of interim president Delcy Rodríguez, whom the White House has described as "extremely cooperative."
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that a $500 million energy deal was largely facilitated by Rodríguez.
She added that the interim president has also confirmed that Venezuela will release political prisoners.
"Five Americans were also recently released this week," Jean-Pierre said.
"So, the president likes what he's seeing. And we expect this cooperation to continue."
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