US reportedly pursuing third oil tanker linked to Venezuela | EUROtoday

The US Coast Guard is in “active pursuit” of one other vessel in worldwide waters close to Venezuela as tensions within the area proceed to escalate.

US authorities have already seized two oil tankers this month – one among them on Saturday.

Sunday’s pursuit associated to a “sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion”, a US official advised the BBC’s companion CBS News. “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”

Washington has accused Venezuela of utilizing oil cash to fund drug-related crime, whereas Venezuela has described the tanker seizures as “theft and kidnapping”.

US President Donald Trump final week ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming into and leaving the nation.

Venezuela – dwelling to the world largest confirmed oil reserves – has accused the Trump administration of making an attempt to steal its sources.

US authorities haven’t but formally confirmed Sunday’s pursuit, and the precise location and title of the tanker concerned isn’t but recognized.

As of final week, greater than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the nation had been beneath US sanctions, in response to information compiled by TankerTrackers.com.

Saturday’s seizure noticed a Panamanian-flagged tanker boarded by a specialised tactical group in worldwide waters.

That ship isn’t on the US Treasury’s record of sanctioned vessels, however the US has stated it was carrying “sanctioned PDVSA oil”. In the previous 5 years the ship additionally sailed beneath the flags of Greece and Liberia, in response to information seen by BBC Verify.

“These acts will not go unpunished,” the Venezuelan authorities stated in response to Saturday’s incident. It added that it meant to file a criticism with the United Nations Security Council and “other multilateral agencies and the governments of the world”.

Venezuela is very depending on revenues from its oil exports to finance its authorities spending.

In current weeks, the US has constructed up its navy presence within the Caribbean Sea and has carried out lethal strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats, killing round 100 individuals.

Sanctions additionally had been positioned on a few of President Maduro’s kinfolk and on companies related to what the US calls his illegitimate regime.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio advised reporters on Friday: “It is clear that the current status quo with the Venezuelan regime is intolerable for the United States.”

He added that the purpose of the Trump administration is to vary that dynamic.

His feedback had been criticised by Venezuela’s international minister who accused Rubio dragging the US down the trail of “regime changes”.

It has supplied no public proof that these vessels had been carrying medication, and the navy has come beneath growing scrutiny from Congress over the strikes.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of main a designated-terrorist organisation referred to as Cartel de los Soles, which he denies.