US seizes sixth tanker as Venezuela’s interim leader vows oil sector reform

US forces accidental different Venezuela-linked tanker seized arsenic Trump continues moves to instrumentality power of nation’s lipid reserves.

United States forces person seized an lipid tanker successful the Caribbean that the Trump medication said had links to Venezuela, the sixth tanker vas detained arsenic Washington moves to instrumentality afloat power of Venezuelan lipid resources.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the US Coast Guard had boarded the tanker Veronica aboriginal connected Thursday.

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Noem said the vas had antecedently passed done Venezuelan waters and was operating successful defiance of President Donald Trump’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels successful the Caribbean”.

US Marines and sailors stationed connected committee the craft bearer USS Gerald R Ford took portion successful the cognition alongside a coastguard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding.

The US subject said the vessel was seized “without incident”.

The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by US forces arsenic portion of President Trump’s committedness to instrumentality indefinite power of the production, refining and planetary organisation of Venezuela’s lipid products. It was besides the fourth vessel seized since the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro successful a subject cognition successful Caracas astir 2 weeks ago.

The latest seizure came arsenic Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, told parliament connected Thursday that determination would beryllium reforms to authorities governing Venezuela’s lipid sector. The Hydrocarbons Law, among different provisions, limits the engagement of overseas entities successful exploiting the country’s nationalist resources.

Without providing details, Rodriguez told parliament the reforms would interaction connected Venezuela’s alleged anti-blockade law, which provides the authorities with tools to counteract US sanctions successful spot since 2019.

Rodriguez said the envisioned ineligible betterment would effect successful wealth for “new fields, to fields wherever determination has ne'er been investment, and to fields wherever determination is nary infrastructure”.

Rodriguez besides said funds from lipid would spell to workers and nationalist services.

Oil exports are Venezuela’s main root of revenue.

Since Maduro’s abduction, Trump has claimed the US present controls Venezuela’s lipid assemblage and has made wide that the takeover of the country’s immense lipid reserves was a cardinal extremity of his subject onslaught against the federation and its leader.

Addressing lipid executives past week, Trump said: “You’re dealing with america straight and not dealing with Venezuela astatine all. We don’t privation you to woody with Venezuela.”

Venezuela sits connected astir a 5th of the world’s lipid reserves and was erstwhile a large crude supplier to the US.

But Venezuela lone produced astir 1 percent of the world’s full crude output successful 2024, according to OPEC, having been hampered by years of underinvestment, US sanctions and embargoes.