Conflicting News about the seizure of the ship in Venezuela
The US Coast Guard is chasing an oil tanker in iernational waters near Venezuela, US officials said, in what would be the third operation in less than two weeks if true.
According to Isna, a US official told Reuters on Sunday evening: “The US Guard is actively pursuing a black fleet vessel that is sanctioned as part of Venezuela’s illegal circumveion of sanctions.”
Claiming that this ship is traveling under a “false flag and with a judicial seizure order”, this American official added: “This oil tanker is under sanctions, but so far no one has attacked it, and ierceptions can be done in differe ways; including sailing or flying near the ships in question.”
“The specific location of the operation or the name of the waed vessel have not been announced,” the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The White House has not commeed on this yet.
In an ierview with CBS News, Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council in the United States, claimed: “The first 2 seized tankers operated in the black market and provided oil to embargoed couries.
“So I don’t think people here in the U.S. are worried about prices going up because of the seizure of these ships,” he added. “There are only a few of them and they were black market vessels.”
Before the publication of these reports, the news media “Bloomberg” reported, quoting a source of knowledge who did not disclose his name: “Tanker Bella 1, a Panamanian-flagged ship sanctioned by the United States, was en route to Venezuela, and the United States also seized this tanker.”
Tensions between Washington and Caracas increased when US Preside Donald Trump announced the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on December 10.
Venezuelan Preside Nicolas Maduro condemned the US attacks and said the US was guilty of “iernational piracy”.
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