Venezuela Blasts U.S. Oil Tanker Seizure as "Piracy"
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that the captured vessel was hauling oil from Venezuela and Iran in defiance of international sanctions.
Caracas blasted the seizure as resource theft. The operation "constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy," the Venezuelan government declared.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto accused America of pursuing a longstanding objective "to seize Venezuelan oil… as part of a deliberate plan to plunder our energy resources."
The Venezuelan administration condemned Washington's "imperial abuses" and pledged to "defend with absolute determination its sovereignty, its natural resources, and its national dignity."
Media sources identified the ship as The Skipper, a Guyana-flagged tanker blacklisted by the US in 2022 for allegedly delivering oil to Iran and Hezbollah. The vessel operated under the name Adisa when sanctions were initially imposed.
Reuters reported the tanker departed Venezuela's Puerto Jose between December 4-5 after loading approximately 1.1 million barrels of crude oil.
Venezuela has consistently challenged US sanctions as violations of international law. President Nicolas Maduro contends the economic restrictions form part of US President Donald Trump's strategy to overthrow his government. Maduro has dismissed Trump's accusations of cartel collaboration and cautioned against initiating "a crazy war."
The confrontation escalates tensions between Washington and Caracas as Trump renews pressure on the Maduro regime through aggressive enforcement of energy sector sanctions.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
