U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela in 'Serious Escalation'
By: Alex Griffing (Mediaite)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The U.S. military seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, reported Bloomberg News on Wednesday. The report called the move "a serious escalation" amid President Donald Trump's saber-rattling to remove Nicolas Maduro from power.
Bloomberg added that "seizure may make it much harder for Venezuela to export its oil, as other shippers are now likely to be more reluctant to load its cargoes. Most Venezuelan oil goes to China, usually through intermediaries, at steep discounts owing to sanctions risk."
The move comes as Trump and his administration continue to bomb alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea, which have so far killed over 80 people and created a growing scandal around the killing of survivors, which critics denounce as a war crime. In recent days, Trump has raised the prospect of land strikes and even troops on the ground as part of his campaign to end "narco terrorism" in the region.
Trump has also been in negotiations with the Maduro regime to remove him from power. Trump and Maduro reportedly spoke on the phone, but negotiations broke down when Maduro asked for blanket amnesty in a friendly country for himself and some 100 of his top officials. Maduro also reportedly wanted to keep $200 million of his personal wealth.
Maduro has claimed publicly that Trump is trying to remove him from power to steal his country's vast oil reserves. Bloomberg noted that U.S. oil companies are already operating inside the country, despite sanctions. "PDVSA, the state oil company, controls the petroleum industry in the country, it works with international partners including Houston-based Chevron Corp. to drill in many parts of Venezuela. Under the current arrangement, Chevron pays the government with a percentage of the oil it produces alongside PDVSA via the companies' joint ventures. A license issued by the US Treasury exempts the US company from sanctions," added Bloomberg of the complicated relationship.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
Tags
Who is online
94 visitors
Trump is happy and eager to attack and bully countries incapable of much of a military response.
He treats them like female journalist reporters of that which (R) not as old as just happened to be knew before it got old, as he has not respect for they, yet, yet how can so many still seem to be able to disrespect themselves B 4 diss in Trump respect, asz it should be as is not acceptable, yet, it is and still remains, too detectable, for one so blatantly obvious, unelectable, when so many elect to only entertaint meant for what they wish to hear, and are frightened to seek the truth, when it is right there, so blatantly clear, for any who might choose to hear, all sides like top to bottom cover, smear
So now you are on the side of drug dealing dictators.
The president has granted clemency to about 100 people accused of drug-related crimes during his time in office, a Post analysis shows.
The same President that is shutting down the drug trafficking.
And that's why he pardoned a convicted drug trafficker! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Whatever his reason with that, the description is X-drug trafficker.
That is some crazy logic right there. Do you shut off your dripping faucet by opening up the handle?
Oh my gawd I'm gonna piss my pants laughing. You really think he's an X trafficker?
You can’t bring yourself to even face the issue of why.
Because he was in custody! Not because he made the moral choice to be a better person. Do you understand the man was in a US federal prison?
You don’t get to call yourself an X-criminal and be proud of it when the reason you gave up the life is that you’re in prison.
By the way, Honduras now has put out a warrant for his arrest. The Hondurans are going to put that fucker in a Honduran prison, if they can catch him. That drug lord moved 400 tons of cocaine through his country. The drug lord who was pardoned by your hero.
Who can argue with this, and that, being Vic's logical weigh deeper antithesis of the positives that his and the negatives produced in a dark room through photosynthesis, cause i'll go out on a limb hear, cause some must leaf reality behind to pursue their 'realer' reality, that only fewer and fewer find a pplausible, for when standing ovations take a back seat to destinations chaired by 'men' who put greed and power over True Women & Men, every OUR once respected nation becomes second hand every minute the spin continues, as the dizzying pace that this abnormality to our human race has set, just shows this unfortunately, ain't over yet, cause this ain't over yet, whence peep holes into the line of thought and reason that still supports and allows this treason to be a reason our country is lowered everyday, just continues to blow me away, especially when technically you can stop a dripping faucet by allowing more to flow,
and the SHIT that now Flows through our Countries once hallowed halls and Gold Plated White Power House of East Wing Pains, is just so over the top, and until more demand for it to stop, it will continue to mock, all of those that did give so much, to create this now sewer grate country.
What a sad reflection of this once GREAT COUNTRY
It's hilarious that the left is now supporting drug traffickers the same way they support MS-13 and other illegals.
Mysterious comment!
(Who, exactly, are you accusing of being on the side of drug dealing dictators?)
Who do you think? Anybody that doesn't march in lockstep with himself
I thought who he was referring to was obvious.
This is an act of war.
China will be on their side
Exactly.
This is a perfect opportunity for China. They can give "unofficial" support to Venezuela and paint the US as a ravening aggressor, while not getting directly involved.
Trump has been wanting this ever since he retook office. He threatened Panama and Greenland directly, and other countries indirectly.
Even if there were a convincing reason to attack Venezuela the case is overwhelmed by Trumps personal corruption. The entire world will think he is doing this to enrich himself.
trump needs to win a tiny war, to misdirect all the soon to be released tiny penis narratives in the numerous claims coming from his underage victims at jeff's house ...
Well... It's been a while since our last jungle war. Change is good, right?
I wonder how the MAGA sycophants who wanted the US out of all wars will explain this away?
lots of stammering, stuttering, and yammering
They will deny reality, lie and deflect.
They got their talking points this morning from the Ministry of Truth.
the oracle on the golden shitter ...
Nicole Wallace just reported Trump said the oil on the tanker belongs to us now.
From the NY Times -
Nicholas Nehamas
The tanker seized near Venezuela by the United States is named Skipper and was carrying a false flag of nationality, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the seizure. It was seized because of its past links to smuggling illicit Iranian oil, not because of ties to the Maduro regime, although it was carrying Venezuelan oil. A federal judge authorized a seizure warrant for the tanker roughly two weeks ago, the official said.
How this is legal I'll probably never understand. This will have repercussions.
In other news Trump announced immigrants can buy a Trump Gold Card for $1M to get fast tracked citizenship and for $5M will never have to pay US taxes. Again I'm not sure of the legality here.
It’s legal because we have a bigger, stronger military than anyone, and particularly so compared to Venezuela, which is the only country that would ever bother to dispute the matter.
Oh, Trumpy pants is already threatening other S American countries. They might get away with it once, but if they keep doing it, we will face sanctions from others.
Therefore, what? The ship and its cargo should legally belong to the United States?
Asking the wrong person.
You posted it. Why? What do you think it means? That’s all I’m asking.
Read the article and make your own decision on what to think.
You can’t or won’t answer a simple, basic question about your own post? All I’m asking you is why you posted it. What is the point you are trying to make? Why is that so hard for you?
Won't. You have the ability to read....read the linked article.
There is a legal process where the US Government has to prove that the ship was attempting to illegally transport sanctioned oil to other nations "under the radar" by turning off their transponders. It may be that they have a legal standing if they follow proper procedure and the law in this seizure.
With that said, the claims against Venezuela seem thin at best, it feels very much like a tail wagging the dog dispute where Trump is inflating the supposed crisis to distract from his many domestic troubles, especially the economy.
"You said you'd bring down prices day 1 of your Presidency. It's now almost a year and most things have continued to go up with very few exceptions. How is this not 'promises broken?".
"The economy has never been stronger, everything is cheaper, gas is under $2 a gallon, I'm the greatest President in our nation's history and you're not allowed to fact check anything I said because we're at war with Venezuela who are very bad people, socialists or communists or something, they're very bad. You should be thanking me but you're all ungrateful haters of the greatest President in history, all you fake news people, you're horrible, you're disgusting."
Why?
Could be... he doesn't know. The Ministry of Truth "suggested" it.
I stated my reason in 4.1.10
No, you didn’t.
Bottom line is you posted some random shit, for no reason, and can’t bring yourself to admit it. Same shit, different day.
Right there in 4.1.10.
That's one way to get cheap oil...
Feel free to go after the Russian tankers..
trump is too busy helping russia's economy recover so that his boyfriend putin can continue his illegal war ...
Morning...I always thought it a bit strange that Trump would go after Venezuela I thought Columbia would be more of a target and more problematic..
But then last night they were mentioned on the hit list..better not invade here, we can throw Vegemite in our Woomeras..
Why is this a problem? He needs fuel for his gift luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from the Qataris.
always looking at the bright side, aren't ya?
Of course.
Was it carrying fentanoil?
Maybe it was hash oil.
What the everloving fuck?
You have a nice way of putting things.
I feel like the country is being dragged into a war, or at least we're potentially stirring one up. And neither Congress nor SCOTUS will put a stop to it.
If we end up in a war, we'll deserve it.
And that brings out my potty mouth.
Going to war will be Trump’s way of “delaying” the next election.
That pic needs to be uglied up some. Like seagull shit on his face
Better?
much
I heard some of the best pirates died of syphilis.
One can only hope.
That's probably why his brain is rotting
that shit will leave a Mark on the Den