"Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. The move comes amid an escalating campaign by the Trump administration against Maduro that has included a ramped-up military presence in the region and more than two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, which have killed dozens of people."
"The tanker was thought to be loaded with about 2m barrels of Venezuela's heavy crude, according to the New York Times. The Venezuelan government accused the US of blatant theft and described the seizure as an act of international piracy, further heightening tensions between the two countries. In a post on social media on Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to escalate the military buildup."
A total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela has been ordered to increase pressure on Nicolás Maduro. The action follows an intensified US military presence and more than two dozen strikes on vessels near Venezuela, which have killed dozens. US forces recently seized a tanker believed to carry about 2 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude, prompting Venezuelan accusations of theft and piracy. The US alleges Venezuela uses oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vows further military escalation. The Pentagon reported strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats and officials have withheld attack footage, citing classification.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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