US pursues third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela

US coastguard ‘in active pursuit’ of a dark fleet vessel trying to evade sanctions on Venezuela, an official says.

The United States is pursuing another oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, a US official told Al Jazeera, as Washington intensifies a pressure campaign against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The operation on Sunday comes a day after the US coastguard seized its second vessel off the coast of Venezuela in two weeks, as part of a “blockade” ordered by US President Donald Trump.

The US official told Al Jazeera that the US coastguard “remains in active pursuit” of the vessel, which they described as being part of Venezuela’s dark fleet trying to evade Washington’s sanctions on the Latin American country’s vital oil sector.

The official added that the vessel was “flying a false flag” and was “under a judicial seizure order”.

The Reuters news agency, citing a US official, reported that the tanker was under sanctions, but added that it had not been boarded so far. The official told the agency that interceptions can take different forms, including sailing or flying close to vessels of concern.