US forces seize one other oil tanker in Carribean Sea Noem says has ties to Venezuela | EUROtoday

U.S. forces have seized one other oil tanker within the Caribbean Sea, the Motor Tanker Veronica, which the Trump administration claims has ties to Venezuela. This motion types a part of a broader U.S. effort to say management over the South American nation’s oil sources.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem introduced on social media on Thursday that the Veronica “had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

A social media put up from U.S. Southern Command indicated that Marines and sailors launched from the plane service USS Gerald R. Ford to impact the seize. Noem’s put up additional famous that, per earlier raids, a U.S. Coast Guard tactical crew carried out the boarding and seizure.

Noem additionally shared a quick video, showing to indicate a part of the ship’s seize. The black-and-white footage depicted helicopters hovering over the deck of a service provider vessel as armed troops descended onto the deck by rope.

The Veronica marks the sixth tanker seized by US forces as a part of the administration of Trump’s drive to regulate the manufacturing, refining, and world distribution of Venezuela’s oil merchandise. It is the fourth such seizure because the U.S. ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a shock nighttime raid practically two weeks in the past.

In her social media put up, Noem acknowledged that the raid was carried out with “close coordination with our colleagues” within the navy, in addition to the State and Justice departments.

“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem added.

As with earlier posts, Ms Noem and the navy framed the seizure as an effort to implement the regulation. Ms Noem argued that the a number of captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, different officers throughout the Trump administration have made it clear they view these actions as a way to generate income as they search to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil business and restore its economic system.

Last week, Donald Trump met with executives from oil firms to debate the administration’s aim of investing $100bn in Venezuela to restore and improve its oil manufacturing and distribution. His administration has acknowledged it expects to promote between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.