US Seizes Chinese-Owned Oil Tanker Near Venezuelan Waters Amid Sanctions Enforcement
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, a massive oil tanker seized by the U.S. near Venezuelan territorial waters is Chinese-owned and flies the Panamanian flag, Bloomberg reported. The vessel was intercepted as part of Washington’s ongoing crackdown on sanctioned oil shipments to and from Venezuela.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagst emphasized that the blockade of sanctioned tankers will continue with full force. He stated that the Pentagon, in coordination with the Coast Guard, will execute decisive maritime surveillance operations to dismantle criminal networks involved in illicit oil trade.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Nom confirmed the seizure, defending the action as part of efforts to combat drug-fueled terrorism in the region. The move follows anonymous U.S. officials telling Reuters that American forces were targeting a sanctioned vessel in international waters off Venezuela’s coast, led by the Coast Guard.
