Caribbean Oil War: The USA Intervened in Venezuela

New Developments in the Caribbean: Oil Conflict Between the US and Venezuela

The "oil war" between the United States and Venezuela has entered a new phase. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made statements regarding a critical operation carried out by the US Coast Guard early Saturday morning. As part of the maritime blockade initiated by the Trump administration, an oil tanker loading from Venezuela was stopped and boarded.

Tanker Named Centuries Stopped

The Panama-flagged super tanker named "Centuries" was reported to be carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil. Sources close to the matter reported that the ownership of the oil on the vessel belongs to a Chinese company and that the majority of the crew consists of Chinese nationals.

White House's Strong Statement

Following the operation, White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly criticized the ship in a statement she made on social media:

"This ship is part of the Venezuela 'shadow fleet' operating under a false flag, engaged in the trade of oil stolen to finance the Maduro regime."

Stopping a Ship Not on the Sanctions List

This operation is noteworthy as it marks the second tanker stopped by America since December. However, unlike the first ship stopped on December 10, the "Centuries" tanker was not previously on the US sanctions list. This situation is interpreted as an expansion of the scope of the US blockade strategy.

Support for the Operation from the Pentagon

Secretary of Homeland Security Noem stated that the operation was carried out before dawn and that the Pentagon also actively supported this operation. It was stated that this process aims to increase US control in the region to cut off Venezuela’s oil revenues.