The United States armed forces intercepted an oil tanker this Wednesday (10) in waters near the coast of Venezuela, according to information published in the American press. It is not yet known the flag of the cargo ship or whether the interception took place in Venezuelan or international waters. The South American country has the largest oil reserves in the world.
This action extends the military siege of the government of Donald Trump against the regime of Nicolas Maduro. Hardliners in the White House, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are advocating direct intervention in an effort to oust Maduro from power. Other wings are encouraging Trump to accept Maduro’s alleged proposal to give the United States a significant stake in Venezuela’s oil industry.
According to the Reuters news agency, the interception was carried out by the US Coast Guard. Despite the intense military pressure exerted by Washington against Caracas, this is the first time that the Trump administration has interfered with the Maduro regime’s main source of income: its oil exports, mainly destined for China.
U.S. armed forces have already killed more than 80 people on small boats that the White House said belonged to criminal organizations and were transporting drugs to the United States. The Trump administration has not presented solid evidence to support this claim.
At the same time, Washington has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying fighter jets, thousands of troops and the world’s largest warship, the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, to the region. Even as the government talks about taking action against drug trafficking, the pressure for Maduro to leave power is clear.
This text is currently being updated.
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