Another vessel was intercepted by the United States near the Venezuelan coast. The action took place in international waters and marks the second operation of its kind carried out this weekend alone.
Although there is no official confirmation from the governments involved, American authorities reported what happened anonymously to the Reuters agency. According to these sources, the procedure followed the same pattern as previous seizures: US military personnel approached in helicopters, descended onto the ship via ropes and took complete control of the vessel.
Last week, the White House had already announced a naval blockade targeting Venezuelan oil tankers that are under sanctions. Before that, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, had warned Nicolás Maduro’s government about the possibility of this type of intervention.
The Venezuelan government, in turn, classifies the interceptions as a “kidnapping” and states that it will not leave the episode unanswered. The exchange of accusations and threats between the two countries has increased fears of a possible armed conflict in South America.
