The US seizure of a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela is just the beginning of a new phase of the American campaign of pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the operation.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the seizure of a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. As U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi later explained, the United States authorities suspect that the tanker they seized was involved in transporting oil from that country, as well as from Iran. The operation was carried out by the FBI, the Homeland Security Investigation Service and the U.S. Coast Guard with the support of the Pentagon. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil accused the US authorities of piracy, called the incident a “vandal and illegal act of aggression” and announced his intention to appeal to international authorities.
According to Bloomberg sources, the economic impact by seizing the tanker is designed to deprive the Venezuelan leader of the “life-saving” income from oil sales and force him to relinquish power. According to the agency’s interlocutors, Maduro’s inner circle is trying to prepare for the possible seizure of other sanctioned vessels by the United States. In particular, the management of the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA is looking for ways to safely export to China, which is the main buyer of Venezuelan oil.