USA detained its sixth foreign tanker linked to Venezuela
On January 15, the US military took control of the oil tanker Veronica in the Caribbean Sea. This is already the sixth vessel detained by the United States in recent weeks. This was reported by the US Southern Command, Reuters writes .
Screenshot from a video by the US Southern Command
The US military stated that the operation proceeded without incident. According to them, the tanker Veronica violated the quarantine for sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean basin, imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Reuters notes that the seizure occurred on the eve of Trump's meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Their first personal meeting after the ousting of Nicolas Maduro is scheduled to take place precisely on January 15.
The tanker seizures became part of Trump's campaign aimed at dismantling Nicolas Maduro's power in Venezuela. This campaign culminated in the invasion of the country by US troops on January 3, with the aim of apprehending Maduro himself and his wife.
All vessels intercepted by the US during this time were either under US sanctions or belonged to the so-called "shadow fleet" and concealed their origin to transport oil from sanctioned countries — Iran, Russia, or Venezuela.