Russia condemns US seizure of tanker

已複製連結

The U.S. seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.

After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a Saturday military raid on Caracas, the U.S. is escalating its blockade of vessels that are under sanctions and going to and from the South American country, a member of the OPEC oil producers group.

The White House also said it plans to roll back some of the sanctions Trump placed on Venezuelan oil in 2019 during his first term.

A weeks-long chase across the Atlantic ended on Wednesday morning when the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military special forces, bearing a judicial seizure warrant, apprehended the Marinera crude oil tanker, which had refused to be boarded last month before switching to Russia's flag, officials said.

With a Russian submarine and vessels nearby, the seizure risked more confrontation with Russia, which has condemned U.S.actions over Venezuela and is already at odds with the West due to the war in Ukraine. 

Russia strongly condemned the seizure of the tanker, asserting that Washington has no legal right to use force against a vessel lawfully registered under another country's jurisdiction on the high seas. 

Its ministry of transport said the tanker, formerly known as Bella 1, had been granted a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag in accordance with Russian and international law. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard also intercepted a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, the Panama-flagged M Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America, the U.S. officials said, in the fourth seizure in recent weeks. The tanker was
fully loaded, according to records of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA.