This Sunday, December 21, the United States intercepted another oil tanker targeted by sanctions in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, according to the North American press.
President Donald Trump’s administration had already seized a vessel last week, which had left the South American country, and confiscated the crude oil it was transporting.
“ABC News”, which cites three US authorities, indicates that there are no further details about the vessel or the exact location where the Coast Guard intercepted it.
The US Armed Forces are “providing support” with helicopters transporting members of the Coast Guard to the vessel and also monitoring the operation, according to the NBC News television network.
Sources cited by the AP news agency said the action was a “consensual approach”, in which the tanker voluntarily stopped and allowed US forces to board.
So far, Donald Trump has not commented on the operation. The President has intensified pressure on Venezuela in recent weeks and recently ordered a total blockade of oil tankers sanctioned by the US government entering and leaving the country.
The President stated last Wednesday that the Caribbean nation has withdrawn oil exploration rights from North American companies.
“Remember, they took away all our energy rights. They took all our oil not long ago. We want it back. They took it illegally,” the President told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, outside Washington.