The United States is intensifying its pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by preparing to seize more ships transporting Venezuelan oil, according to six sources familiar with the matter. This action follows the first-ever interdiction of a Venezuelan oil tanker this week.
The U.S. is targeting several more sanctioned tankers for potential seizure as part of its strategy to execute the President's sanctions policies. The recent seizure marks the first direct interdiction of an oil cargo or tanker from Venezuela since U.S. sanctions were imposed in 2019. The seized vessel, named Skipper, was previously sanctioned for oil trading with Iran.
The U.S. Justice Department and Homeland Security have been planning these seizures for months and have assembled a target list of sanctioned vessels. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated the U.S. would not "stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes."
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on six supertankers that recently loaded crude in Venezuela, and on four Venezuelans, including relatives of the first lady.
A reduction or halt in Venezuelan oil exports, the government's main revenue source, is expected to strain the Maduro regime's finances. The new tactic targets the "shadow fleet" of old, opaquely-owned, and uninsured tankers that ferry sanctioned oil to buyers like China. These vessels often carry oil for multiple sanctioned nations, including Iran and Russia.
U.S. forces are monitoring vessels in Venezuelan ports or at sea, waiting for them to sail into international waters before taking action. The seized tanker is expected to sail to a U.S. port for a formal legal process to seize its cargo.
The seizure of the Skipper immediately caused at least one shipper to temporarily suspend the voyages of three freshly loaded shipments, totaling almost 6 million barrels of Merey crude destined for Asia. Shipping sources indicate that shipowners, operators, and maritime agencies are now on high alert and are reconsidering planned voyages from Venezuelan waters.
This action is part of a larger U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean and follows numerous strikes against drug vessels in recent months. Venezuela's government described the U.S. seizure as a "theft" and an "act of international piracy."
Legal specialists, such as Laurence Atkin-Teillet, noted that because the seizure was "endorsed and sanctioned by the U.S.," it does not legally constitute "piracy" under international law.
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