The news regarding the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela by the United States took a new turn this Wednesday, when the American outlet Axios revealed that the ship was carrying crude oil destined for Cuba.
According to the report, the tanker was part of an illegal network transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, which supplied the island in violation of the sanctions imposed by Washington.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi confirmed that the operation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of Defense.
Bondi explained that the ship had been under sanctions for years due to its involvement in an illicit oil transport network linked to the financing of international terrorist organizations.
The official highlighted that the seizure was carried out "safely and without incidents," and that investigations will continue alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the trafficking of sanctioned oil in the region.
According to Axios, the ship is a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier), capable of carrying more than 320,000 tons of crude oil, and was intercepted while heading to Cuban ports.
The outlet reported that the shipment was part of a scheme in which Cuba resells Venezuelan oil on the international black market, mainly targeting Asia and China, an operation that, according to sources consulted, involves relatives of Raúl Castro.
President Donald Trump celebrated the operation and stated that it was “the largest tanker ever seized”, referring to the size of the vessel.
Sources cited by Axios described the operation as a “double blow”: against Nicolás Maduro's finances and against the interests of the Cuban regime that supports him.
"We are witnessing the fruits of our labor: concrete actions. Enough of the Cartel of the Suns in Venezuela sending oil to the murderous dictatorship in Cuba, which then resells that gasoline at prohibitive prices to the Cuban people!" said Congressman Carlos Giménez, highlighting the effectiveness of the measures pushed by the Trump administration.
The seizure, which coincides with the increased military and diplomatic pressure from Washington in the Caribbean, represents one of the most significant blows against the energy network linking Caracas and Havana.
Additionally, it reinforces the White House's strategy of cutting off the financial and logistical flows that support both sanctioned regimes.
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