The US Coast Guard is in 'active pursuit' of a vessel in international waters near Venezuela as tensions in the region continue to escalate.
US authorities have already seized two oil tankers this month - one of them on Saturday. Sunday's pursuit relates to a 'sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion,' a US official told CBS News. It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of using oil money to fund drug-related crime, while Venezuela has described the tanker seizures as 'piracy'.
According to the New York Times, late on Saturday, the US Coast Guard approached an oil tanker identified as Bella 1, which was allegedly on its way to Venezuela. The Bella 1 had previously been added to the US sanctions list for carrying sanctioned cargo.
The tanker reportedly fled northeast into the Atlantic Ocean while being pursued. It is the third oil tanker targeted by the US amidst the ongoing sanctions against Venezuela.
The Coast Guard also seized another vessel named Centuries, which is suspected of carrying oil linked to Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Centuries was operating as part of a Venezuelan shadow fleet for trafficking stolen oil.
The increasing US pressure on Venezuela, led by President Trump, includes doubling the reward for information leading to Nicolás Maduro's capture and a declared blockade on sanctioned oil tankers.
As Venezuela depends heavily on oil exports, this situation has ignited ire among Venezuelan officials. Maduro described the actions as 'piracy' and accused the US of attempting to seize Venezuela's resources, which holds the world's largest proven oil reserves.
In response to these developments, the United Nations Security Council will convene for an emergency session at Venezuela's request to address what it terms 'ongoing US aggression'. China has also condemned the US actions, labeling them as 'unilateral sanctions.'
