In a clear signal to dictator Nicolas Maduro that his time is growing short, President Trump announced at a press conference on Wednesday the seizure of a massive oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The incident is currently short on detail, but you can bet things will continue to escalate over the coming days. This tanker had previously been sanctioned for conducting illicit Iranian oil trades, and as part of a reimplementation of the Monroe Doctrine, it became fair game.
In a clear signal to dictator Nicolas Maduro that his time is growing short, President Trump announced at a press conference on Wednesday the seizure of a massive oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The incident is currently short on detail, but you can bet things will continue to escalate over the coming days. This tanker had previously been sanctioned for conducting illicit Iranian oil trades, and as part of a reimplementation of the Monroe Doctrine, it became fair game.
Oil prices immediately jumped after the seizure. The Trump administration is indicating that it is prepping to tighten its control of Venezuela’s energy sector. A great deal of the country’s oil goes to our enemies, such as Iran, Russia, and China.
During a roundtable discussion, Trump nonchalantly stated, “An interesting day from the standpoint of news. As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large — largest one ever seized, actually, and other things are happening.”
Trump commented that the tanker was taken by the United States “for very good reasons,” and that information about who owns the tanker will be provided later.
When he was questioned about what would happen to the oil on the ship, Trump responded, “We keep it, I guess.”
Trump stated that he would discuss the situation further in the future.
Reuters is reporting that US officials have confirmed the seizure but spoke anonymously to reporters because the interdiction has not been publicly outlined yet. It was carried out by the US Coast Guard, and the vessel was not identified. The flag it was sailing under was also not disclosed.
“British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the tanker Skipper was believed to have been seized off Venezuela early on Wednesday. The US has imposed sanctions on the tanker for what Washington said was involvement in Iranian oil trading when it was called the Adisa,” the media outlet reported.
“The Skipper left Venezuela’s main oil port of Jose between December 4 and 5 after loading Venezuela’s Merey heavy crude, according to satellite info analyzed by TankerTrackers.com and PDVSA’s internal shipping data,” Reuters added.
From the Associated Press:
The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that the seizure was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority.
The Coast Guard members were taken to that ship by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the official said. The Ford is in the Caribbean Sea after arriving last month in a major show of force, joining a fleet of other warships that have been increasing pressure on Maduro.
Video posted online by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows people fast-roping from one of the helicopters involved in the operation as it hovers just feet from the deck.
The Coast Guard members can be seen in later shots of the video moving throughout the superstructure of the ship with their weapons drawn.
Bondi wrote that “for multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”
Escalation of confrontation between the US and Venezuela
This is a significant escalation following a sizable American military deployment to the Caribbean, which includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and the deployment of 10 F-35 jets to Puerto Rico to support Southern Command operations, as well as additional air and naval assets. The US now has over 15,000 troops in the area and 11 ships. We have also just landed troops in Puerto Rico.
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