US Imposes Additional Sanctions on Oil Tankers from Venezuela

The United States Department of the Treasury has announced a new round of sanctions targeting four companies and their associated oil tankers involved in transporting Venezuelan oil. The sanctions are part of President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuela.

The Treasury stated that the targeted vessels, including the Nord Star, Rosalind, Valiant, and Della, allegedly facilitated sanctionable activity and generated revenue for Venezuela’s destabilizing operations. The announcement follows a previous round of sanctions imposed on a separate Venezuelan company accused of assembling drones designed by Iran.

President Trump has claimed that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro leads a “narco-terrorist” government that seeks to destabilize the US. The Treasury Department stated that Maduro’s regime relies on a shadow fleet of worldwide vessels to facilitate sanctionable activity and generate revenue for its operations.

The sanctions come as part of a broader pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Venezuela. In recent months, the administration has cited various motives for ratcheting up pressure, including immigration and Maduro’s contested election in 2024.

The US government has also taken military actions against Venezuelan oil tankers, seizing two vessels in December and reportedly pursuing a third as it crosses the Atlantic Ocean. The Trump administration has stated that its goal is to prevent Venezuela from profiting from exporting oil while flooding the US with illicit drugs.

Critics have accused the US of seeking to topple Maduro’s government to gain control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. However, one major US oil company, Chevron, continues to operate in the country.

Source: Al Jazeera