{"id":360664,"date":"2025-12-20T21:30:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T21:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/360664\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T21:30:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T21:30:08","slug":"us-forces-stop-a-second-merchant-vessel-off-the-coast-of-venezuela-american-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/360664\/","title":{"rendered":"US forces stop a second merchant vessel off the coast of Venezuela, American officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 U.S. forces on Saturday stopped a vessel off the coast of\u00a0Venezuela<\/a>\u00a0for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n

The move, which was confirmed by two U.S. officials familiar with matter, comes days after Trump announced a\u00a0\u201cblockade\u201d of all sanctioned oil tankers<\/a>\u00a0coming in and out of the South American country and follows the Dec. 10\u00a0seizure by American forces<\/a>\u00a0of an oil tanker off Venezuela\u2019s coast.<\/p>\n

The officials were not authorized to discuss publicly the ongoing military operation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The action was described as a \u201cconsented boarding,\u201d with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing U.S. forces to board it, one official said.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon and White House officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Trump earlier this month announced that Coast Guard had seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea and vowed that the U.S. would carry out a blockade of Venezuela. It all comes as Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric toward Maduro and warned that the longtime Venezuelan leader\u2019s days in power are numbered.<\/p>\n

Trump this week demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a\u00a0\u201cblockade\u201d against oil tankers traveling<\/a>\u00a0to or from the South American country that face American sanctions.<\/p>\n

Trump cited the lost U.S. investments in Venezuela when asked about his newest tactic in a\u00a0pressure campaign<\/a>\u00a0against Maduro, suggesting the Republican administration\u2019s moves are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are\u00a0diverting away from Venezuela<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn\u2019t be going through,\u201d Trump told reporters. \u201cYou remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it \u2014 they illegally took it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The targeting of tankers comes as Trump has ordered the Defense Department to carry out a series of attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that his administration alleges are smuggling fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States and beyond.<\/p>\n

At least 104 people have been killed in\u00a028 known strikes<\/a>\u00a0since early September.<\/p>\n

The strikes have faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and human rights activists, who say the administration has offered scant evidence that its targets are indeed drug smugglers and that the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.<\/p>\n

The Coast Guard, sometimes with help from the Navy, has frequently interdicted boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea, searched for illicit cargo, and arrested the people aboard for prosecution.<\/p>\n

The administration has justified the strikes as necessary, asserting it is in\u00a0\u201carmed conflict\u201d with drug cartels<\/a>\u00a0aimed at halting the flow of narcotics into the United States. Maduro faces federal charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.<\/p>\n

The U.S. in recent months has sent\u00a0a fleet of warships<\/a>\u00a0to the region, the largest buildup of forces in generations, and Trump has stated repeatedly that\u00a0land attacks are coming soon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from power.<\/p>\n

We want to hear from you.<\/p>\n

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t
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