CARACAS.- The Seizure of an oil tanker by the United States Coast Guard near the coast of Venezuelaconfirmed this Wednesday by the President Donald Trump, triggered a wave of energetic answers from Caracas.
The government of Nicolas Maduro described the operation as “brazen theft” and “act of international piracy”, and assured that he would take over the case “all existing international bodies” to report this “serious crime.”
The ship that transported some 1.8 million barrels A quantity of Venezuelan Merey heavy oil was intercepted as part of an attack by US forces extensive naval operations in the southern Caribbean.
The US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, explained that the tanker, presumably the captainhad been punished for his involvement in an illegal oil transport network that supports foreign terrorist organizations.
The USA had previously imposed sanctions on the tanker, it was said Adisafor participation in Iranian oil trade.
It was reported that the captain It departed from the main Venezuelan oil port of Jose between December 4th and 5th.
The Guyana Maritime Authority claimed the skipper mistakenly flew the country’s flag. According to PDVSA, the ship had transported Venezuelan oil to Asia between 2021 and 2022.
The United States released a 45-second video showing an American team running across the ship’s deck with weapons drawn.
They took part in the seizure two helicopters, 10 Marines and 10 U.S. Coast Guard members, as well as special forces, a source familiar with the operation told CBS.
According to the source, an elite Coast Guard group called the Maritime Security and Response Team was involved in the boarding of the ship. This team is trained in anti-terrorism and high-risk law enforcement entry procedures such as: B. the quick rope entry from a helicopter shown in the video.
The exact location of the tanker at the time of the seizure is unclear, but a senior military official told the BBC’s U.S. partner CBS News that the ship had just left a port in Venezuela.
A Statement from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry released on Wednesday evening points out that Washington’s actions “confirm the aggressive policies of the White House.” Chavismo denounces that this strategy is the goal confiscate Venezuelan oil.
The Maduro government claimed that Trump’s policies responded to a deliberate plan “Expropriation” of Venezuelan energy resources.
The Venezuelan statement says that with this seizure “The real reasons for the ongoing aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed” and pointed out that it was never about migration, drug trafficking, democracy or human rights, but about that “It has always been about our wealth, which belongs exclusively to the Venezuelan people.”
Diosdado hairwho is considered the number two of the Chavista regime, attacked the confiscation in his television program and assured this The Americans want to steal Venezuela’s oil, gold and gas.
Cabello urged the Venezuelan people to prepare for one “longer active resistance” before “psychological terrorism” imposed by Washington.
The US action took place as part of the sanctions that Washington has been imposing since 2019. These sanctions of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) have forced the Maduro government to operate in secret to market its crude oil.
This was the result of an analysis by Transparency Venezuela Irregular vessel surgeries are common. He 40% of tankers arriving in the country are irregular.
In addition, a local investigation in October documented the existence of a network of vessels violating sanctions through maneuvers such as: Change flag or hide navigation information.
According to the organization 110 tankers Discovered in Venezuelan ports in September, almost half had irregular status and they were at least identified 12 boats subject to sanctions imposed by OFAC, the United Kingdom or the European Union.
The escalation of tensions is part of a military reinforcement exercise by the United States Extensive military operations in the Caribbean.
The military campaign against what Washington calls “narcoterrorist” cartels has produced more than one result about twenty of attacks on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, with at least 87 dead reported.
In addition to the allegations of resource theft, the Venezuelan government linked the seizure of the oil tanker to it the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the opposition activist María Corina Machado in Oslo.
The official statement assured that the attack on the ship was aimed at “distract attention and cover up the complete failure of the political show staged in Oslo today.”
Maduro also attacked Latin American presidents Javier Milei and José Mulino of Panama, who attended the Nobel Prize ceremony in support of Machado.
The seizure of this tanker, which Trump described as “the largest ever confiscated,” increased oil prices.
Despite this escalation, oil company Chevron, a partner of PDVSA, stated that its activities in the country continue as normal. (The country exported more than 900,000 barrels per day oil last month, the third highest monthly average so far this year).
Agencies Reuters, AFP, ANSA and newspaper The country
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