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A supertanker loaded with Venezuelan crude returned to Venezuelan waters on Tuesday after the United States intercepted several ships in the Caribbean.
The maritime tracking service TankerTrackers.com, cited by Reuters, indicated that the vessel Kelly, flagged under Panama, had sailed last week from Venezuela alongside the Centuries, another tanker from the same country, both escorted by ships from the Venezuelan Navy.
However, the Kelly is now again in waters near the port of Amuay, in the state of Falcón, where the state oil company PDVSA operates its refinery, according to tracking data.
The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries on Saturday, which was carrying approximately 1.9 million barrels of heavy Merey crude oil, and is pursuing another empty vessel heading towards Venezuela, a member of OPEC.
More than a dozen loaded vessels remain in Venezuelan waters awaiting new instructions, after the United States seized the supertanker Skipper in early December.
Subsequently, they carried out two more interceptions, the Centuries and the Bella-1, the latter connected to the company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises, which in turn is linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
These actions are part of the tightening of measures announced last week by U.S. President Donald Trump, who ordered a "blockade" on all sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuela, in an attempt to increase pressure on Nicolás Maduro.
On its part, the maritime authority of Guyana reported that at least one of the vessels was operating under a false Guyanese flag, while the Foreign Minister of Panama indicated that some of the detained tankers did not meet the country's maritime regulations.
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