Washington (United States) (AFP) – The United States has started an operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after it evaded a partial blockade around Venezuela, multiple US media said Wednesday. US officials say the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that has carried oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in violation of US sanctions. Tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the tanker nearing Iceland’s exclusive economic zone on Wednesday.
The operation, first reported by Reuters citing two US officials, comes after Russia sent a submarine to escort the empty tanker that the United States has been pursuing for weeks. The vessel thwarted an attempt by the US Coast Guard to board it late last month as it neared Venezuela. Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said it was “following with concern” the US pursuit of the tanker. The ministry told state-run media prior to reports of the escort that the vessel was sailing under the Russian flag and was far from the US coast. “For reasons unclear to us, the Russian vessel is receiving heightened attention from the US and NATO militaries — attention that is clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status,” the ministry said.
Since being pursued by the US Coast Guard, the vessel has switched its registration to Russia, changed its name to the Marinera, and the tanker’s crew reportedly painted a Russian flag on the tanker. The developments are the latest in US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela. The tanker had been en route to Venezuela but was not carrying cargo before it evaded the US blockade. It has been under US sanctions since 2024 over alleged ties to Iran and Hezbollah.
Russia sent “a submarine and other naval assets” to escort the tanker, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing unnamed US officials. Reuters said the US Coast Guard separately intercepted another Venezuela-linked tanker in Latin American waters. Trump said this week that Venezuela will hand over tens of millions of barrels of oil to the United States, just days after a US raid toppled the country’s anti-American president, leaving a more cooperative leader in charge.
It was not immediately clear whether Venezuela’s new ruler — interim president Delcy Rodriguez — had agreed to hand over the oil, how the plan would work, or what its legal basis would be. Last Saturday, US special forces snatched president Nicolas Maduro and his wife from Caracas and whisked them to New York to face trial on drug charges. Since then, Trump has said that the United States will “run” Venezuela and US companies will control its oil.
© 2024 AFP
