Personnel from the United States boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to a US official familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas.
It was the second known instance of the US interdicting a vessel near Venezuela this month and comes after President Donald Trump announced this week a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of the country. The US seized a large oil tanker called the Skipper, which had been under sanctions for its ties to Iran, on December 10.
While Trump’s directive this week targeted sanctioned tankers, the vessel the US seized Saturday is not under US sanctions, the official said. The seizure wasn’t contested by the tanker’s crew.
The vessel was a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, according to the official, and was ultimately destined for Asia.
Saturday’s operation was led by the US Coast Guard, with assistance from the US military, and it occurred in international waters, the official said.
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