Image Credit: Reuters
The United States has stepped up maritime enforcement operations in international waters near Venezuela, with American authorities reportedly tracking a third oil tanker suspected of breaching US sanctions.
US media reports say Washington believes the vessel forms part of an illicit network that bypasses restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports.
US officials cited by American broadcasters said the Coast Guard is currently pursuing a tanker allegedly operating under a false flag and subject to a judicial seizure order.
The vessel, identified in reports as Bella 1, was earlier boarded by US personnel while sailing towards Venezuela to load crude oil. Despite the boarding, authorities indicated that the operation remains ongoing.
If US authorities ultimately seize the tanker, they will mark it as the third interception of a vessel linked to Venezuela within a fortnight.
Earlier this month, US forces took control of the tanker Skipper near Venezuelan waters, announcing plans to retain its oil cargo.
More recently, the Coast Guard boarded the Centuries, a Panamanian-flagged supertanker, after determining that its crude originated from Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), which is under US sanctions.
Broader Sanctions Strategy
The latest pursuit follows an order issued earlier this month by US President Donald Trump mandating a comprehensive blockade of sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
The directive came alongside Washington’s designation of President Nicolás Maduro’s government as a “foreign terrorist organisation”, further tightening economic and diplomatic pressure on Caracas.
Industry monitors report that dozens of sanctioned vessels remain anchored in Venezuelan waters, underscoring the scale of enforcement challenges.
Oil exports form the backbone of Venezuela’s economy, generating most of its foreign income. Venezuelan authorities have strongly criticised US actions, accusing Washington of economic aggression, regime-change ambitions and branding the tanker interceptions as acts of piracy.
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