NOT CLEAR WHERE VESSEL WILL NOW GO
The seizure happened simply days after US particular forces swooped into Caracas earlier than daybreak on Saturday in a lethal raid to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and take him to the US. The US navy turned him over to federal authorities for prosecution on charges involving alleged drug trafficking.
It was unclear the place precisely the ship would now go, however sources mentioned it could possible be getting into British territorial waters.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence declined to remark.
The US Coast Guard first tried to intercept the vessel final month, but it surely refused to be boarded. Since then, it has registered below a Russian flag and been renamed the Marinera.
The vessel is the most recent tanker focused by the US Coast Guard because the begin of US President Donald Trump’s stress marketing campaign towards Venezuela.
COAST GUARD SEIZES A SECOND VENEZUELA-LINKED TANKER
Individually, the US Coast Guard has additionally intercepted one other Venezuela-linked tanker in Latin American waters on Wednesday.
The US navy’s Southern Command mentioned the Panama-flagged supertanker M Sophia, which is below sanctions, was intercepted earlier than daybreak and described it as a “stateless, sanctioned darkish fleet motor tanker”.
“The US Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the US for ultimate disposition,” Southern Command mentioned in a press release.
The seizure was first reported by Reuters.
It had departed from Venezuelan waters in early January as a part of a fleet of ships carrying Venezuelan oil to China in “darkish mode” or with its transponder off, in accordance with transport information and sources.
