“This morning, American armed forces, with the support of the Ministry of Homeland Security, detained the Sagitta motor ship without any problems,” reads the command's statement.
Where was the tanker stopped?
What actions did American forces take?
How many tankers have been detained in recent weeks?
Who was the leader of Venezuela before his arrest?
As it was added, the tanker operated in violation of the blockade of sanctioned ships in the Caribbean announced by President Trump. The command emphasized that the detention of another unit proves the American “determination to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela is oil extracted properly and legally.”
It is the seventh vessel seized by the U.S. in recent weeks that was transporting Venezuelan oil or had done so in the past.
The blockade of the tankers was part of the US pressure campaign on the regime of Nicolas Maduro, which culminated in the military operation on January 3, which ended with his capture and prosecution in the US.
After detaining the Venezuelan leader, Trump declared that the US controlled the South American country and began calling on American companies to invest in the Venezuelan oil sector.
Last week, Trump administration officials informed the media that as part of the agreement to sell 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil by the United States, the first sale of the raw material for $500 million was made.
In 2019, the US introduced sanctions virtually blocking oil trade from Venezuela. The export of the raw material began to be carried out by a network of tankers evading identification and American restrictions, known as the shadow fleet. Some of these units are also used to bypass similar sanctions imposed on Iran and Russia.
