image source, Getty Images
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- Author, Drafting
- Author title, BBC News World
The United States Coast Guard has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Donald Trump reported on Wednesday.
“We have just seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a large, very large oil tanker; in fact, the largest ever seized,” the US president told the press in the Oval Office of the White House.
The operation, which led to a moderate increase in international crude oil prices, represents a new escalation of tensions in relations between Washington and Caracas.
US authorities have not yet revealed the name of the intercepted ship, the flag under which it was sailing and the exact location where the seizure took place.
The BBC has contacted the Venezuelan government for comment but has not yet received a response.
The United States has stepped up its military operation off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks, claiming its aim is to combat drug trafficking, while the Caracas government has accused Washington of seeking to overthrow the Maduro government and seize Venezuela’s oil reserves.
More information soon.
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