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The US Coast Guard is currently pursuing a third oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, as tensions with the South American nation continue to grow and the threat of direct military action looms.
“The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” the official said.
“It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
This latest pursuit is the third in less than two weeks.
The US seized a second Venezuelan oil tanker on Saturday morning.
“In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you.”
It followed the first seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week.
On Tuesday, President Trump ordered a complete blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers heading to and from Venezuela.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump said on his social-media platform, Truth Social.
President Trump has accused the Maduro regime of using oil money to finance terrorism, drug smuggling, human trafficking.
The US has built up a significant military presence in the Caribbean in recent months, including fighter jets, warship and troops. An aircraft-carrier strike group was relocated from the Mediterranean to the area.
The USS Gerald Ford and three destroyer escorts now join naval forces that include the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and multiple warships.
Since September, over a dozen lethal strikes have been launched on vessels in the Caribbean and now the Pacific that were allegedly being used to smuggle drugs into the US.
At least 100 people have now been killed.
President Trump has indicated that military action on land is coming; although he hasn’t specified where.
