US Coast Guard pursuing another oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/21/coast-guard-pursuing-oil-tanker-venezuela-coast

Official indicates vessel is subject to sanctions after Trump’s ‘blockade’ on sanctioned tankers in and out of Venezuela

US Coast Guard officials said on Sunday that they are tracking an oil tanker in international waters close to Venezuela, according to Reuters, marking the second such action over the weekend – and the third within the past week.

One official indicated that the tanker is subject to sanctions. The officials, who requested anonymity, did not disclose the precise location of the pursuit.

Donald Trump had recently declared a “blockade” targeting all sanctioned oil tankers traveling into or out of Venezuela.

The US president’s campaign to increase pressure on authoritarian Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has involved a strengthened American military presence in the region, along with more than two dozen military strikes against vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American country. Those attacks have resulted in at least 100 deaths.

95 points · 15 comments · view on lemmy.world

15 Comments

DishonestBirb@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 268d (10 replies)

So serious question, how is the US Navy chasing down and seizing these ships different from piracy?

not_that_guy05@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 268d (2 replies)

And why is the Coast guard in Venezuelan waters? It's suppose to be at our coast protecting our coast not some other country. That is the point of the navy.

gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 268d (1 reply)
  • I agree that the seizures are deeply inappropriate and almost certainly illegal. The strikes, doubly so.
  • the USCG actually deploys overseas from time to time - for instance, they were a part of the international force that was off the coast of Somalia a few years back to help defend against the rampant piracy and hijacking.
Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 268d

"to help defend against the rampant piracy and hijacking."

Now they've gone full circle. smh

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 267d

its wierd its the coast guard doing this.

apftwb@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 267d (3 replies)

Piracy is when non-government entities do it. This is technically privateering.

Edit: not technically privateering

frongt@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 267d (2 replies)

No, privateering is when a government issues a license to a private company to commit piracy.

apftwb@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 267d

So we aren't at privateering, but apparently that is also being proposed. This wasn't on my 2027 bingo card.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3567

apftwb@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 267d

So there isn't a term. Once again, we have entered uncharted legal waters (pun intended).

frongt@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 267d (1 reply)

Piracy is conducted by non-governmental entities specifically.

PattyMcB@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 267d

So... acts of war, not piracy, then?

itisileclerk@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 268d

WTF US Coast Guard is doing in Venezuela? US Coast is far away. The arrogance of the US is only inferior to the decline they will have in 5, 10 or 50 years. The collapse of the USSR or the Roman Empire will be child's play compared to the collapse of the US which will inevitably happen in the not so distant future.

watson387@sopuli.xyz · 13 pts · 267d

US Pirates Hijack Another Venezuelan Oil Tanker

ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 267d

I'm so tired of the Western unholy abortion we call the US. What a blight on humanity.

Treczoks@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 267d

persuing planning to steal