FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the bureau, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other agencies were involved in the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Dec. 10, stating that it was connected to terrorist organizations.
“The tanker has been used in recent years in an illicit shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”
Patel added that the White House will continue its “efforts to crush” foreign terrorist organizations and cut off their resources.
Amid a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean Sea, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has alleged that Washington is trying to overthrow his regime and gain control of the nation’s oil resources, which are among the world’s largest crude reserves.
“We condemn this action that is contrary to all international principles and norms,” it said.
Earlier on Wednesday, President Donald Trump confirmed the United States seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast. Administration officials did not name the vessel or disclose its location at the time of the seizure.
Guyana’s maritime authority said on Wednesday that the supertanker “Skipper” carrying Venezuelan oil was falsely flying Guyana’s flag.
The authority, which was informed by the U.S. government of the tanker’s seizure, plans to take action against the unauthorized use of the country’s flag, it added.
“The Maritime Administration Department has observed the proliferation and unacceptable trend of the unauthorized use of the Guyana flag by vessels that are not registered in Guyana,” it said in a statement.
Over the past several weeks, the Trump administration has been carrying out military strikes on boats accused of smuggling drugs into the United States. The government has also declared the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing it of effectively being run by Maduro.
Speaking at the White House last week, Trump indicated that he could launch land strikes in Venezuela in the near future. He also warned that other countries involved in drug trafficking into the United States could face military action, too.