Overview
- The White House confirmed the capture of a commercial tanker off Venezuela and said the oil onboard will be confiscated.
- Justice Department officials said the vessel carried Venezuelan and Iranian crude in violation of U.S. sanctions and alleged the ship supported foreign terrorist organizations.
- CBS reported the operation involved the carrier Gerald R. Ford, two helicopters, a U.S. Coast Guard boarding team, and support from Marines and Coast Guard personnel.
- Treasury’s OFAC sanctioned three nephews of Cilia Flores, Panamanian businessman Ramón Carretero Napolitano, six shipping companies, and six tankers tied to Venezuela’s oil trade.
- Bloomberg reported the U.S. is likely to conduct additional interceptions, while Venezuela and Cuba condemned the seizure as piracy and signaled legal and diplomatic pushback.