Washington, December 24 -- RIA Novosti
According to Reuters on December 23, the U.S. Coast Guard may attempt to seize the Bella 1 oil tanker, registered in Panama and heading to Venezuela, after receiving reinforcements.
The report cited sources saying: "The U.S. Coast Guard is waiting for reinforcements to arrive before possibly attempting to board and seize this oil tanker linked to Venezuela - the ship has been under U.S. surveillance since December 21." The article noted that the crew of the oil tanker currently refuses to allow U.S. personnel to board. The report did not specify the location of the oil tanker or the U.S. forces tracking it.
According to the agency's information, the seizure order may be issued by two specialized task forces of the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. military is especially likely to attempt boarding from the helicopter deck. The report also pointed out that the United States may ultimately abandon such an operation. Previously, the Pentagon had refused to comment on the U.S. military's tracking of the Bella 1 oil tanker at the request of TASS.
Washington has unjustly accused the government of Venezuela of failing to combat drug trafficking. The New York Times reported in August that Trump signed a secret directive authorizing the use of force against Latin American drug cartels. Since then, the U.S. has deployed large numbers of troops to the Caribbean region, including a strike group led by the "Gerald R. Ford" aircraft carrier. In recent months, the U.S. military has destroyed more than 20 speedboats along the coast of Latin America under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, causing nearly 100 casualties. Colombian President Gustavo Petro pointed out after one of the attacks that the U.S. action resulted in the death of a fisherman (not a drug trafficker) in his country.
On December 10, Trump announced the seizure of a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker and stated that the U.S. plans to confiscate the oil on board. On December 16, he claimed that he had ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to Venezuela. The U.S. leader referred to the Venezuelan authorities as a "foreign terrorist organization."
On December 20, the U.S. confirmed intercepting the Panamanian-flagged "Century" oil tanker, which was transporting fuel for a Chinese oil trading company's refinery at the time and was not sanctioned by the U.S. On December 21, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. military launched an operation to seize the Panamanian-flagged Bella 1 oil tanker heading to Venezuela.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7587302422332719656/
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