Mastodawn

US Coast Guard pursuing another oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

https://lemmy.world/post/40520550

US Coast Guard pursuing another oil tanker off coast of Venezuela - Lemmy.World

Official indicates vessel is subject to sanctions after Trump’s ‘blockade’ on sanctioned tankers in and out of Venezuela US Coast Guard officials said on Sunday that they are tracking an oil tanker in international waters close to Venezuela, according to Reuters, marking the second such action over the weekend – and the third within the past week. One official indicated that the tanker is subject to sanctions. The officials, who requested anonymity, did not disclose the precise location of the pursuit. Donald Trump had recently declared a “blockade” targeting all sanctioned oil tankers traveling into or out of Venezuela. The US president’s campaign to increase pressure on authoritarian Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has involved a strengthened American military presence in the region, along with more than two dozen military strikes against vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American country. Those attacks have resulted in at least 100 deaths.

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DishonestBirb Dec 21

So serious question, how is the US Navy chasing down and seizing these ships different from piracy?

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not_that_guy05 Dec 21

And why is the Coast guard in Venezuelan waters? It’s suppose to be at our coast protecting our coast not some other country. That is the point of the navy.

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gravitas_deficiency

I agree that the seizures are deeply inappropriate and almost certainly illegal. The strikes, doubly so.
the USCG actually deploys overseas from time to time - for instance, they were a part of the international force that was off the coast of Somalia a few years back to help defend against the rampant piracy and hijacking.