The US took control of its fifth oil vessel in recent weeks on Friday in the latest move tied to the Donald Trump administration’s effort to
control Venezuelan oil exports.
Friday’s operation came ahead of a meeting between Trump and American oil executives where the US president sought to convince them to commit to an investment pledge in Venezuela.
“At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” he said on social media Friday morning.
In an early morning operation, a joint US Coast Guard and Navy team launched from the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford apprehended the tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea “without incident”, according to a social media post from the US Southern Command.
“The Department of War’s Operation Southern Spear is unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the western hemisphere,” it said.
On Wednesday, US forces took control of two other ships, including one, the Marinera (previously known as Bella 1), seized after a weeks-long chase across the North Atlantic.