U.S. Coast Guard in “Active Pursuit” of Third Venezuelan Oil Tanker
The Coast Guard has launched "active pursuit" of the ship navigating international Caribbean waters, with authorities asserting the tanker operates under fraudulent registration and falls under a court-mandated confiscation order. Officials characterize it as part of Venezuela's "dark fleet" designed to circumvent Washington's unilateral economic restrictions.
Boarding has not yet occurred, though success would represent the third such action following December 10, when American forces captured the Skipper, and Saturday's seizure of the Centuries.
This newest operation follows President Donald Trump's recent declaration of a "total and complete" embargo targeting sanctioned oil tankers conducting business with Venezuela.
Authorities have withheld the vessel's identity, though media accounts indicate the pursued ship is the Bella 1, previously penalized for hauling Iranian petroleum. US officials report the tanker declined boarding requests and maintained its course, triggering what one official termed an "active pursuit."
The intensifying confiscations form part of Trump's expanded pressure strategy against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which encompasses substantial US military deployment throughout the area and numerous American operations against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels since September.
Venezuela has condemned these actions as maritime theft, cautioning the seizures constitute economic aggression designed to cripple its petroleum-reliant economy. Caracas has charged Washington with pursuing regime overthrow to secure access to the nation's extensive oil deposits.
Russia and China have both issued warnings that escalating US military operations threaten broader regional destabilization, calling for restraint and adherence to international legal standards.
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