A US helicopter flies low over a hazy blue sea as it approaches a massive ship. It hovers as camouflaged soldiers holding rifles swing down ropes to the vessel's deck. The video, released by the US government, shows the latest in a series of escalations in Washington's pressure campaign on Nicolás Maduro's government – the seizure of a crude oil tanker.
The US claims the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an 'illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations'. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called the seizure 'international piracy' and claims US President Donald Trump wants Venezuela's energy resources.
Here's what we know:
'We have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela - a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually, Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. The footage of the operation was shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media. Bondi said a seizure warrant for the tanker was carried out by the US Coast Guard, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defence.
The exact location of the tanker at the time of the seizure is not clear, but a senior military official told CBS News that the vessel had just left a port in Venezuela. The 45-second video shows a US team walking the deck of the ship with their weapons drawn. No ship crew are visible.
The seizure involved two helicopters, 10 marines and 10 US Coast Guard members, and special operations forces. The boarding of the vessel involved an elite group of the Coast Guard called the Maritime Security and Response Team, trained in counterterrorism and high-risk law enforcement boarding procedures. This action was coordinated from the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, stationed nearby.
Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Skipper, which allegedly has been 'spoofing' its position. The Skipper is classified as a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) and is noted to have been involved in smuggling sanctioned goods.
The tanker allegedly was carrying about 1.8 million barrels of heavy crude oil when it was seized. The US has stated that it intends to keep the oil, valued at over $95 million due to current market prices. Maduro has reacted by claiming the United States is using its military presence in the Caribbean to seize Venezuela's oil resources amidst their ongoing economic woes due to heavy sanctions and tumultuous political conditions.
The US claims the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an 'illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations'. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called the seizure 'international piracy' and claims US President Donald Trump wants Venezuela's energy resources.
Here's what we know:
'We have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela - a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually, Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. The footage of the operation was shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media. Bondi said a seizure warrant for the tanker was carried out by the US Coast Guard, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defence.
The exact location of the tanker at the time of the seizure is not clear, but a senior military official told CBS News that the vessel had just left a port in Venezuela. The 45-second video shows a US team walking the deck of the ship with their weapons drawn. No ship crew are visible.
The seizure involved two helicopters, 10 marines and 10 US Coast Guard members, and special operations forces. The boarding of the vessel involved an elite group of the Coast Guard called the Maritime Security and Response Team, trained in counterterrorism and high-risk law enforcement boarding procedures. This action was coordinated from the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, stationed nearby.
Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Skipper, which allegedly has been 'spoofing' its position. The Skipper is classified as a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) and is noted to have been involved in smuggling sanctioned goods.
The tanker allegedly was carrying about 1.8 million barrels of heavy crude oil when it was seized. The US has stated that it intends to keep the oil, valued at over $95 million due to current market prices. Maduro has reacted by claiming the United States is using its military presence in the Caribbean to seize Venezuela's oil resources amidst their ongoing economic woes due to heavy sanctions and tumultuous political conditions.
