Trump seeks court warrants to seize dozens tankers of Venezuelan oil
The effort is intended to tighten Washington’s control over Venezuela’s oil exports following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro during a US special forces operation on January 3. In recent weeks, US forces, alongside the Coast Guard, have already taken control of five vessels in international waters, including the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera near Scotland.
According to reports, the US Justice Department has quietly filed multiple civil forfeiture cases, mainly in courts in Washington, DC, to obtain warrants allowing the seizure of many more ships. These vessels are accused of bypassing sanctions to transport oil from Venezuela, as well as from Iran and Russia.
The exact number of additional warrants being pursued has not been disclosed. However, a Pentagon spokesperson said last week that the United States would “hunt down and interdict ALL dark fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at the time and place of our choosing.”
The legal initiative reflects Trump’s broader objective of asserting control over Venezuela’s energy resources. While the White House presents the policy as a step toward restoring the country’s oil sector for the benefit of its population, critics argue that it represents an unprecedented extension of US law and unilateral sanctions beyond national jurisdiction.
Russian officials have condemned the seizure of the Marinera, calling it a breach of international maritime law that guarantees freedom of navigation in international waters. Moscow has also stated that the tanker was sailing under a temporary Russian flag “in accordance with Russian and international law” at the time it was intercepted.
The operation involving the Marinera was carried out with British assistance, and separate reports indicate that the UK authorities are considering their own legal grounds for detaining vessels linked to Russia.
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