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The U.S. Coast Guard is “actively pursuing” another vessel in international waters near Venezuela as tensions continue to rise in the region.
U.S. authorities have seized two oil tankers this month—one Saturday.
A U.S. official said Sunday’s manhunt was related to a “sanctioned Dark Fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal evasion of sanctions.” “It flies a false flag and is subject to a judicial seizure order.”
Washington accuses Venezuela of using oil money to fund drug-related crimes, while Venezuela describes the seized tankers as “theft and kidnapping”.
US President Donald Trump last week ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country.
Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, accuses the Trump administration of trying to steal its resources.
U.S. authorities have not officially confirmed Sunday’s manhunt, and the exact location and name of the tanker involved were unclear.
As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 vessels in Venezuelan waters or close to the country were subject to U.S. sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com.
A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was boarded by a specialized tactical team in international waters on Saturday.
The vessel is not on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of sanctioned vessels, but the U.S. said it was carrying “sanctioned PDVSA oil.” The ship has also sailed under Greek and Liberian flags in the past five years, according to records seen by BBC Verify.
“These actions will not go unpunished,” Venezuela’s government said in response to Saturday’s events, adding that it intended to lodge a complaint with the United Nations Security Council and “other multilateral institutions and governments around the world.”
Venezuela is highly dependent on oil export revenues to fund its government spending.
The United States has stepped up its military presence in the Caribbean in recent weeks and carried out deadly attacks on Venezuelan ships suspected of smuggling drugs, killing about 100 people.
Some relatives of President Maduro and businesses linked to what the U.S. calls the illegitimate regime have also been sanctioned.
“Clearly, the current status quo of the Venezuelan regime is intolerable to the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday.
The Trump administration aims to change that dynamic, he added.
His remarks were criticized by Venezuela’s foreign minister, who accused Rubio of dragging the United States onto the path of “regime change.”
It has provided no public evidence that the ships were carrying drugs, and the military has come under increasing scrutiny from Congress over the attacks.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a designated terrorist group called the “Solar Cartel,” which he denies.
