Donald Trump has said the US will keep or sell the crude oil contained on tankers it has seized off the coast of Venezuela, as well as the vessels themselves.
The US president’s comments came as Washington continues to pressure the South American country’s leader Nicolás Maduro to stand down.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump said of the oil “we’re going to keep it”, adding: “Maybe we will sell it, maybe we will keep it. Maybe we’ll use it in the Strategic Reserves. We’re keeping the ships also.”
The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug-related crime, while Caracas has condemned the seizures as “piracy”.
The US military has seized two oil tankers this month, including one on Saturday.
Trump issued his latest warning as the US Coast Guard continued to pursue a third oil tanker, which authorities described as part of a Venezuelan “dark fleet” used to evade US sanctions.
“It’s moving along, and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump said.
Separately on Monday, the US military said it carried out a strike on what it said was a suspected trafficking vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific. US Southern Command said one person was killed.
OotL.
What authority does the US (think they) have to seize these ships?
All I have seen is vague references to “sanctions” with no further explanation.
There might be drugs? Or is that just to attack ships?
They’re lawless thugs who are out to get rich and daring anyone to try and stop them whether sea or land.
As is the wont of pirates
*nazis. don’t disparage pirates like that. this is trump toying with manufactured consent and hoping another tonkin happens.
Someone had pointed out when all this started, this is a privateer, pirating with the sanction of a government. Not honest pirating. ;)
Isn’t privateering still done by a privately owned ship? Pretty sure when government vessels do it, it is just a blockade/sanctions enforcement/etc, until someone declares war about it.
well, then I’d like to see their Letter of Marque… ;)
I remember hearing this, too
That’s if you’re hired by the government. This is official government agents doing it.
they’re fucking criminals and they are in charge of the fucking Whitehouse. America is so fucked.
For the second time in less than 24 hrs…
Gee, who the fuck could have predicted that was coming? Russia and China pledge support for Venezuela as Trump ratchets up pressure on Maduro
And by “we” will keep or sell, I assume he means the royal We, as in Chevron, since he’s ensured they are currently the only company allowed to legally export oil from Venezuela.
This is all on the heels of the U.S. placing “sanctions” on the Russian oil company, LukOil, and the rejection of Chevron’s bid to buy those assets.
Luckily, to avoid any potential fuckery and corruption regarding the assets, Saudi Arabia stepped in instead. Saudi Arabia Moves to Take Control of LUKOIL’s $22 Billion Global Assets
And even though Chevron didn’t get to “buy” those assets (at least not directly) they get to take control of all of the shadow tankers that were headed to Russia, China, and Iran. Russia had been using these ghost tankers to sneak around EU sanctions, but then started marking their tankers with Russian flags… for some reason.
The “shadow fleet” used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is “exploding” in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations. Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe.
Is it a challenge? Or is it like writing your name on something because you know your friends will be raiding the fridge, and you want to mark what belongs to you?
Is he pushing them to strike US soil first so he can avoid officially declaring war?
Honestly, wouldn’t even be surprised. Every modern day endless war needs a false flag attack to get the patriotic vitriol pumping.
And normally, that’s something you do when support for your administration isn’t already so fucking low it seems like it couldn’t possibly get any lower, and oh my God how can we seriously not even be one year in at this point, what tf does he have planned to create the illusion of a united front against a threat to America?
Arr… they be ruining my romantic view of pirates as swashbuckling anti-heroes!
As long as it’s benefiting him personally, I’m ok with it.
