US: "Venezuelan Oil Tanker Detained Yesterday Engaged in Illegal Transactions with Iran's Revolutionary Guard"

White House Spokesperson Responds at Press Briefing
Plan to Seize Crude Oil Through Legal Procedures
"U.S. Has Prepared for Vessel Seizures for Months"

Donald Trump, President of the United States (left), and Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The U.S. government announced on the 11th (local time) that the oil tanker detained off the coast of Venezuela the previous day had engaged in illegal crude oil transactions with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated during a briefing that day that the tanker had conducted illegal crude oil transactions with the IRGC, which is subject to U.S. sanctions. She also explained that the Donald Trump administration is proceeding with forfeiture procedures against the tanker and intends to seize the crude oil through legal channels.

Previously, the U.S. military detained an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela the previous day. President Donald Trump told reporters regarding this incident that it was "the largest oil tanker we have seized so far" and hinted at additional actions by saying, "Other things are happening as well." However, he declined to provide specific information about the identity of the tanker or its owner.

Leavitt further suggested the Trump administration may continue to seize sanctioned vessels, responding to a question about whether there are plans to target other oil tankers or Venezuela's oil facilities by saying, "We will not simply watch as sanctioned ships carry illicit crude oil across the seas."

The Trump administration reportedly plans to continue seizing vessels transporting crude oil for sanctioned countries such as Venezuela. Reuters, citing multiple sources, reported that the United States is expected to take additional direct action in the coming weeks to block ships transporting Venezuelan crude oil.

The United States has created a "target list" in preparation for seizing several sanctioned oil tankers, which may have transported crude oil not only from Venezuela but also from other sanctioned countries such as Iran. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are said to have been preparing for these seizures for several months.

Sources indicated that by blocking Venezuela's crude oil exports, which are a major source of revenue for the country, the United States could put financial pressure on the regime of Nicolas Maduro. In a recently released interview with the U.S. political media outlet Politico, President Trump, when asked about the ousting of President Maduro, stated, "His days are numbered."

The report added that this approach by the United States targets the so-called "shadow fleet" that transports sanctioned oil to China, the largest importer of Venezuelan and Iranian crude oil. The U.S. military is monitoring oil tankers at sea or anchored at Venezuelan ports and is waiting for them to enter international waters before launching operations against them.