Trump's oil push widens with seizure of Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuela

Reuters: The U.S. said on Wednesday it had seized a Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked tanker as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Caracas' socialist government to become its ally.

 

Having deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Washington is blockading sanctioned vessels in and out of waters off the South American OPEC member. The U.S. Coast Guard and military apprehended the Marinera tanker that refused to be boarded last month and switched to Moscow's flag, officials said.

 

With a Russian submarine and vessels nearby after a two-week pursuit in the Atlantic, the move risked more confrontation with Moscow which has condemned U.S. actions over Venezuela and is already at odds with the West due to the Ukraine war.

 

Russian state broadcaster RT showed an image of a helicopter hovering near the Marinera, originally known as the Bella-1, and said it looked like U.S. forces were trying to board the U.S.-sanctioned tanker, which is empty.

 

The U.S. Coast Guard also intercepted another fully-loaded Venezuela-linked tanker, Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America, the officials said, in the fourth such case of recent weeks.

Trump's administration was also pressing a deal with Venezuela to divert supplies from Beijing and import up to $2 billion worth of crude.

The deal could initially require cargoes bound for Venezuela's top buyer China to be rerouted as Caracas seeks to unload millions of barrels stranded in tankers and storage.

 

"The United States' brazen use of force against Venezuela and its demand for 'America First' when Venezuela disposes of its own oil resources are typical acts of bullying," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press conference.

 

Trump has openly spoken of controlling Venezuela's vast oil reserves, in conjunction with U.S. oil companies, after the removal of Maduro whom he has cast as a drug-trafficking dictator in league with Washington's foes.

 

Maduro's Socialist Party allies remain in power in Venezuela, where interim President Delcy Rodriguez is treading a fine line between denouncing his "kidnapping" and kick-starting cooperation with the U.S. under explicit threats from Trump.

 

He said the U.S. would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of crude stuck in Venezuela under a U.S. blockade as a first step in his plan to revive a sector long in decline despite sitting on the largest reserves in the world.

 

"This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!" Trump posted on Tuesday.

Sources at state oil company PDVSA told Reuters negotiations for an export deal had progressed, though Venezuela's government made no official announcement.