United States officials reported on Sunday that the U.S. Coast Guard is actively pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela. According to the officials, the vessel is under U.S. sanctions and is subject to a judicial seizure order for its alleged role in evading international sanctions related to Venezuela.
The reports of the pursuit emerged one day after U.S. authorities seized a separate oil tanker in the same region.
Several news agencies, including Reuters and The Associated Press, cited unnamed U.S. officials who provided details on the operation Sunday. An official told Reuters the vessel is a “sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.” The official added that the tanker was “flying a false flag.”
Another official briefed on the matter confirmed to The Associated Press that the pursuit involved a sanctioned vessel operating as part of a sanctions evasion effort. While officials stated the vessel had not been boarded as of Sunday, they noted that interceptions can take various forms. The specific name of the vessel and its precise location were not disclosed in the reports.
This incident follows the seizure of a different oil tanker on Saturday. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the seizure, stating the U.S. Coast Guard apprehended the vessel with support from the Pentagon.
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem said in a statement. “We will find you, and we will stop you.”
These maritime operations are part of a broader policy by the Trump administration directed at the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Last Tuesday, President Donald Trump issued an order concerning sanctioned oil tankers operating near the South American nation.
Speaking in a television interview on Sunday, Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, said the two tankers involved in the recent incidents were operating on the black market and providing oil to countries under sanctions.
