The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, officials told on Sunday, in what would be the second such operation this weekend and the third in less than two weeks if successful.
"The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned 'dark fleet' vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion," a U.S. official said. "It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order."
Another official said the tanker was under sanctions, but added that it had not been boarded so far and that interceptions can take different forms, including by sailing or flying close to vessels of concern.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard, along with a U.S. maritime security source, identified the vessel as Bella 1, a very large crude oil carrier that was added last year to the sanctions list of the U.S. Treasury Department, which said the vessel has links to Iran.
Bella 1 was empty when it was approaching Venezuela on Sunday, according to TankerTrackers.com.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced a "blockade" of all oil tankers under sanctions entering and leaving Venezuela.
Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has included a ramped-up military presence in the region and more than two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.
At least 100 people have been killed in the attacks.
The Skipper, a very large crude carrier and the first Venezuela-related vessel seized by the U.S. on 10 December, reached the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area near Houston on Sunday.
The first two oil tankers seized were operating on the black market and providing oil to countries under sanctions, Kevin Hassett, director of the White House's National Economic Council, said in a television interview on Sunday.
"And so I don't think that people need to be worried here in the U.S. that the prices are going to go up because of these seizures of these ships," Hassett said on CBS' "Face the Nation" program. "There's just a couple of them, and they were black market ships."
Oil prices rose on Monday in early Asian trading hours. Brent crude futures rose 42 cents, or 0.7%, to $60.89 a barrel as of 0020 GMT.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday that the country's oil trade will continue. But the new U.S. focus on oil tankers will raise geopolitical risks and probably hurt Venezuela's oil revenue, analysts said.
The effects could be felt quickly as Venezuela's export volumes fall significantly and oil storage tanks fill up faster, forcing the OPEC producer to cut output, said Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University's Baker Institute.
Tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of a woman by a U.S. immigration officer, as demonst...
A woman has been killed and three other people injured in a Ukrainian drone attack overnight into Sunday on the Russian city of Voronezh, which also d...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday as U.S. forces carried out multiple airstrikes in...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of January, covering the latest developments you need to ...
A protester briefly replaced the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran at its embassy in London with a pre-1979 version during an anti-government demon...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Despite facing challenges in chip manufacturing, Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) researchers are optimistic about narrowing the technological gap with the United States, driven by an increasing culture of risk-taking and innovation.
Elon Musk announced that the social media platform X will make its new algorithm publicly available, including all code related to organic and advertising post recommendations, in seven days.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has called on South Korea to thoroughly investigate recent drone incidents and provide a detailed explanation, according to a statement released by state media KCNA on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out ordering a mission to capture Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he is confident the war in Ukraine can be brought to an end.
Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family has said.
Türkiye has stepped back from mediating between Pakistan and Afghanistan after repeated efforts failed to narrow deep differences between Islamabad and Kabul.
Türkiye is reportedly in discussions to join the defence alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a strategic move that could reshape security dynamics in the Middle East and South Asia.
China, Russia and Iran have begun a week-long joint naval exercise in South African waters, a move that comes amid strained relations between Washington and several members of the expanded BRICS bloc.
A woman has been killed and three other people injured in a Ukrainian drone attack overnight into Sunday on the Russian city of Voronezh, which also damaged several buildings, local officials said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday as U.S. forces carried out multiple airstrikes in Syria targeting the Islamic State group, U.S. officials said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
About 15,000 properties were left without electricity in north-east Queensland on Sunday after Tropical Cyclone Koji crossed the coast, bringing heavy rain and destructive winds, state authorities said.
Despite facing challenges in chip manufacturing, Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) researchers are optimistic about narrowing the technological gap with the United States, driven by an increasing culture of risk-taking and innovation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment