For years, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela have relied on foreign-flagged ships to transport oil despite sanctions. Now the US is apparently trying to bring these vessels under control.
The chase lasted about two weeks before the US Coast Guard was able to take control of the oil tanker "Marinera". The ship was seized and seized in the North Atlantic on the orders of a US court, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said.
The tanker was sailing under a Russian flag, and according to US Vice President J.D. Vance, this is a trick used to circumvent sanctions imposed on Venezuela and Iran.
Against the shadowy fleet of Russia, Iran and Venezuela
The ship "Marinera", which until a few days ago bore the name "Bela 1", is part of the Venezuelan "shadowy fleet" and although it was captured empty, it has previously transported oil despite sanctions. "Under the leadership of this president, the United States of America will not tolerate this," Levitt said.
A British military aircraft and warship also participated in the seizure. A Russian submarine and several Russian ships were reportedly in the vicinity. However, no direct confrontation occurred. The US Coast Guard also seized another tanker in the Caribbean, the "M/T Sofia", which was sailing under the Panamanian flag but was carrying oil from Venezuela.
The US has so far seized at least four oil tankers in its crackdown on the shadowy fleet that transports oil from sanctioned countries.
Pressure also on Putin
President Donald Trump is trying to shut down all tankers involved in the illegal oil business, former US ambassador to Brussels Gordon Sondland said in an interview with CNN. "In this way, he puts additional pressure on the economies of Iran, Russia and Venezuela until he achieves the desired results."
According to Sondland, it is also about putting pressure on Vladimir Putin to give in on Ukraine. "It's time to show Russia. We were so restrained and gave Putin every opportunity to get out of the situation and make a deal." The Kremlin uses hundreds of vessels, part of the so-called shadow fleet, to circumvent international sanctions imposed for the aggressive war against Ukraine.
Trump wants full control over oil in Venezuela
At the same time, the US is also demonstrating its claims to the oil industry in Venezuela. Trump wants full access and control. According to the White House, the authorities in Caracas have agreed to provide the US with between 30 and 50 million barrels of crude oil. It will be transported to the United States and then sold on world markets.
The United States will control the distribution of the proceeds, announced US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: "So that they benefit the Venezuelan people and do not disappear into the corruption of the regime. In this way, we have significant leverage to stabilize the country."
According to the White House, some of the proceeds will remain in the United States. To make this alleged oil export deal possible, the US government will lift some of the sanctions against Venezuela.