US pursuit of 3rd oil tanker intensifies Venezuela blockade
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Trump warns Venezuela's Maduro against playing 'tough'
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Tanker loading in Venezuela dwindled on Monday, following U.S. action against two more ships and as state-run energy company PDVSA struggles to recover from a cyberattack.
A U.S. official tells ABC News that the U.S. Coast Guard is “in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.” “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order,” the official added.
The government of the oil-rich nation took control of its petroleum industry in 1976, nationalizing hundreds of private businesses and foreign-owned assets.
The U.S. campaign to topple President Nicolás Maduro is stranding Venezuelans around the world, compounding the misery of a beleaguered population.
Maduro’s government has called the U.S. behavior “theft” and “an act of international piracy,” and filed a complaint with the United Nations Security Council. Maduro also ordered the Venezuelan navy to escort tankers headed to Asia.
President Trump wants Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to leave office. If he doesn't, the US has two choices: regime change by force, or withdrawal.
Personnel from the United States boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to an official familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas.
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