US Seizes Chinese-Owned Tanker Near Venezuela Amid Sanctions Enforcement
According to American media, the United States has seized a large tanker in waters near the coast of Venezuela; the tanker, which was sailing under the Panamanian flag, is owned by a Chinese company, Bloomberg reported.
Citing Al Mayadeen network, Bloomberg wrote that the ship was targeted as part of a US naval operation, with details confirmed by official Washington agencies.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the blockade and pursuit of sanctioned tankers traveling to or from Venezuela will continue “with full force.” He added that the Pentagon, in cooperation with the Coast Guard, is conducting maritime monitoring operations to counter what he described as criminal networks.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen also confirmed that the US Coast Guard, backed by the Pentagon, seized a tanker on Saturday that had most recently docked in Venezuela. She claimed these measures aim to track oil smuggling subject to sanctions.
These statements come as the Venezuelan government has previously described such actions as “maritime piracy.” At the same time, Reuters, citing three American officials, reported that the seizure operation took place in international waters near the Venezuelan coast and was led by the US Coast Guard.
The officials, who asked not to be named, did not provide further details about the exact location of the operation but emphasized that efforts to monitor and seize US-sanctioned ships in the area continue.
