The U.S. is actively pursuing an oil tanker fleeing into the Atlantic after it was stopped while attempting to load oil from Venezuela in violation of sanctions.
The ship, Bella 1, was most recently spotted fleeing the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean after attempting to dock in Venezuela to transport oil, with the ship failing to fly a valid national flag, sources told The New York Times Sunday. The Trump Administration has instituted a naval blockade of Venezuela to enforce previous sanctions and strangle the Maduro regime’s main source of income: oil exports.
“The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” a U.S. official told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
The ship began broadcasting distress signals, sending 75 alerts by Sunday evening, sources told the NYT. The Trump administration obtained a seizure warrant on the ship due to it’s role in the illicit trade of oil to Iran, for which it was sanctioned by the U.S. last year.
American military forces have slowly been built up in the Southern Caribbean in an effort to stop drugs making their way to American shores. So far, the U.S. has killed at least 95 alleged traffickers since the operations began in September.
The build-up has fueled speculation that the Trump administration is preparing for a direct confrontation with the Maduro regime or even pursuing regime change. Multiple Trump administration officials have said that Maduro must step down from his position as president, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the loudest voices calling for regime change during his career.
The Pentagon deferred to the White House when asked for comment.
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