A US helicopter flies low over a hazy blue sea as it approaches a massive ship. It hovers as camouflaged soldiers holding rifles swing down ropes to the vessel's deck.
The video, released by the US government, shows the latest in a series of escalations in Washington's pressure campaign on Nicolás Maduro's government – the seizure of a crude oil tanker.
The US claims the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an 'illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations'.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called the seizure 'international piracy' and claims US President Donald Trump wants Venezuela's energy resources.
Here’s what we know: The operation was described by Trump as the seizure of the 'largest tanker ever seized'. The footage showed US teams boarding the ship. The operation involved a team of ten Coast Guard members and special operations forces, trained for counterterrorism.
The Skipper itself has a history of operating under various names and was recently identified as part of a smuggling network. After allegedly departing with about 1.8 million barrels of oil, it faced sanctions for its ties to terrorist organizations.
Trump suggested that the US would keep the oil seized from the tanker, valued potentially at over $95 million, as tensions in Venezuela continue to escalate amidst the backdrop of the continent's largest-known crude oil reserves. Analysts have highlighted the difficulties Venezuela faces in extracting and monetizing these resources due to age and sanctions affecting its infrastructure.
The video, released by the US government, shows the latest in a series of escalations in Washington's pressure campaign on Nicolás Maduro's government – the seizure of a crude oil tanker.
The US claims the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an 'illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations'.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called the seizure 'international piracy' and claims US President Donald Trump wants Venezuela's energy resources.
Here’s what we know: The operation was described by Trump as the seizure of the 'largest tanker ever seized'. The footage showed US teams boarding the ship. The operation involved a team of ten Coast Guard members and special operations forces, trained for counterterrorism.
The Skipper itself has a history of operating under various names and was recently identified as part of a smuggling network. After allegedly departing with about 1.8 million barrels of oil, it faced sanctions for its ties to terrorist organizations.
Trump suggested that the US would keep the oil seized from the tanker, valued potentially at over $95 million, as tensions in Venezuela continue to escalate amidst the backdrop of the continent's largest-known crude oil reserves. Analysts have highlighted the difficulties Venezuela faces in extracting and monetizing these resources due to age and sanctions affecting its infrastructure.
