Third Oil Tanker Seized As U.S. Ramps Up Regional Presence
The United States has intercepted the oil tanker Bella-1, flying the Panamanian flag, in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday, the third such incident in recent days.
The ship was headed to Venezuela and is linked to a company that has been sanctioned since June 2024 by the U.S. Treasury for being associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
This would be the third seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela in recent weeks and comes amid a significant U.S. military build-up in the region.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, on X, said the U.S. will continue to target the illicit trafficking of authorised oil that is used to finance narco-terrorism in the region.
Last Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a total oil blockade against Venezuela and a tightening of deportations in a message posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he directly accused Nicolás Maduro’s regime of funding criminal activities with energy resources.
