Oil tanker seizures in the United States are attracting increasing international and national attention

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — As the U.S. Coast Guard continued its pursuit of an oil tanker in the Atlantic on Monday, the Trump administration made clear that its attacks on ships carrying Venezuelan oil were aimed at it disconnect from the power supply to Nicolás Maduro, the country’s president.

“We are not only intercepting these ships, but we are also sending a message to the world: the illegal activities in which Maduro is involved cannot continue,” said the Secretary of Homeland Security. Kristi Noem, in an interview with Fox News on Monday. “He has to go.”

The campaign to intercept oil tankers has reverberations beyond the Caribbean, sparking criticism from foreign governments, warnings of threats to global energy markets and opposition within the United States over the risk of escalation.

U.S. officials say the Coast Guard attempted to intercept it on Saturday Tanker Bella 1 in the Caribbean after it was discovered that he was not flying a valid national flag, making him vulnerable to embarkation under international law.

However, the ship did not comply with this request and sailed on.

Authorities said they obtained a seizure order based on the vessel’s previous involvement in maritime trafficking Iranian oil.

The Coast Guard repeatedly tried to call the Bella 1 and order it to stop, but the ship ignored those calls, according to a U.S. official briefed on the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the situation.

In another episode, also on Saturday, the Coast Guard boarded the Centuries, a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker that had recently loaded Venezuelan crude oil, allegedly for a Chinese trader.

U.S. authorities said they had no seizure order and were checking the ship’s registration, so it was unclear how long it could be held.

The U.S. seized a third tanker on Dec. 10 that is currently docked at a port in Texas.

Panama’s foreign minister told a local media outlet on Monday that the Centuries had violated Panama’s maritime regulations by turning off its transponder.

Videos released by the Trump administration show US military helicopters deploying boarding teams on tankers, with “fast ropes“, a tactic that allows forces to land quickly and without warning, regardless of sea conditions, while nearby helicopters and aircraft provide security.

The Navy and Coast Guard have conducted similar operations before, including in the Persian Gulf in the 1990s as part of a United Nations-sanctioned attempt to impose sanctions on Iraq.

China, the largest importer of Venezuelan oil, condemned the ongoing seizure of ships in the Caribbean, calling it a serious violation of international law.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that Beijing opposes any action that “violates the sovereignty and security of other countries or constitutes an act of unilateral intimidation.”

While Venezuelan crude represents only a small portion of China’s total official oil imports, analysts say the amount is likely underestimated and seizures could still carry political weight.

President Donald Trump is focused on keeping his planned April summit with the president on track Xi JinpingAny sign that China is unhappy with American measures could complicate White House deliberations on how far the strategy should go.

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, He also warned of escalation, telling a summit on Saturday that an “armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe.”

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of shipping huge amounts of drugs to the United States and stealing American oil resources, without providing evidence.

Trump told reporters on Monday that the United States intended to keep the 1.9 million barrels of oil that were on the first tanker seized.

“We’re sticking with them,” Trump said.

“We also kept the boats.”

Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s de facto opposition leader and winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said in an interview with CBS News this month that she supports the seizures and has been “calling for them for years.”

Maduro said in a letter to the United Nations on Monday that the “blockade and piracy” would affect global energy supplies, market stability and individual economies.

The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for Tuesday to discuss the Venezuela issue.

“Energy must not become a weapon of war or an instrument of political coercion,” he wrote in the letter read out by his foreign minister.

The Venezuelan Vice President, Delcy Rodriguezwrote on Telegram that a ship from the American energy giant Chevron It left for the United States on Sunday with Venezuelan crude oil.

“The delivery was made in strict compliance with the regulations and commitments assumed by our oil industry,” Rodríguez added.

“Venezuela has always respected national and international law and will continue to do so.”

The confiscations also sparked criticism in the country.

The senator Rand Paula Kentucky Republican said Sunday on ABC that he viewed the tanker operations as “a provocation and a . . .” Prelude to war”.

“Look, at any given time there are 20 or 30 governments in the world that we don’t like,” Paul said.

“But it is not the job of the American soldier to be the world’s policeman.”

Paul, a libertarian who has consistently opposed U.S. military interventions abroad, was one of two Republicans who voted alongside Democrats last month to block a possible attack on Venezuela.

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