Footage shows US forces seizing fifth Venezuela-linked oil tanker – video

US Military Takes Control of Another Venezuelan-Linked Oil Ship

A recent development in the ongoing saga surrounding Venezuelan-linked oil shipments has left observers intrigued. Footage recently surfaced showing US naval forces seizing a fifth tanker suspected of being linked to the South American nation's alleged oil smuggling operations.

According to eyewitnesses, the vessel was intercepted by the US Navy in international waters, whereupon authorities boarded the ship and took control. The footage, which has been circulating online, appears to show US personnel conducting routine inspections of the tanker while simultaneously searching for contraband.

This latest seizure is part of a growing trend of US efforts aimed at disrupting Venezuela-linked oil smuggling rings. Since 2022, the US Coast Guard has impounded multiple tankers connected to the Maduro regime's alleged illicit activities. While officials have declined to comment on the specifics surrounding this particular incident, it is widely acknowledged that the operation was carried out in coordination with international partners.

The implications of this seizure are multifaceted. On one hand, the US move suggests a continued commitment to curbing oil smuggling operations linked to Venezuela's government. On the other hand, experts warn that Venezuela's complex web of corruption and organized crime groups may continue to pose significant challenges to law enforcement efforts in the region.

The recent development serves as a reminder of the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between US authorities and those involved in Venezuelan-linked oil smuggling operations.

This latest move by the US is like, you know? It's all about being tough on Maduro, but at what cost? I mean, we're talking about Venezuela here, a country that's already struggling with food shortages and economic collapse. Do we really need to be pushing them around even more?

And let's not forget, the US is basically creating a black market for oil. I mean, think about it - they're intercepting tankers in international waters and taking control of them. That's like, straight out of a bad movie script. Are they trying to fuel some kind of regime change here?

And what about the implications for Russia and China? Are we going to create a global oil shortage just to spite Maduro? This whole thing is just so... complicated. We need to think about the long-term effects, not just this short-term win for US authorities.

Wow! Like, can you even imagine if we had to deal with all that oil smuggling drama right here in the States? I mean, it's crazy how one country's corruption can have such a huge impact on global markets . Anyway, I'm just glad the US is taking steps to crack down on this stuff – safety and security always come first, you know?

I'm not sure how effective this is gonna be, but I guess it's a step in the right direction . Taking control of another ship is just a drop in the ocean when you're dealing with corruption on that scale. It's like trying to hold water in your hands - it's gonna slip right through. I mean, we've seen this happen before, and what did it really achieve? Just more money and power for those involved...

Still, gotta hand it to the US Navy for taking action. Maybe they're finally getting somewhere . But at the end of the day, Venezuela's a mess, and fixing it isn't gonna be easy .

just another day, us trying to keep the world's oil flowing while venezuela's "regime" is all about flowin' money into its pockets... meanwhile, our coast guard is like "hey, you gotta pay customs"... lol sounds like a real thrill ride . seriously though, how hard can it be to track down some ship with suspicious cargo? still got to feel for venezuela, stuck in this mess and we're all just kinda watching from afar...

this is getting crazy lol what's next gonna be the us taking control of a chinese ship too?

just wondering if the us is doing the right thing by taking control of these oil ships? seems like they're trying to stop venezuela's alleged smuggling but it's not that simple... [www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52950961](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52950961)

This latest US move is like, super concerning for Venezuela's economy . I mean, if they're really cracking down on oil smuggling ships, it could impact their ability to export and earn revenue. But at the same time, it's not entirely unexpected - the US has been pretty vocal about its opposition to Maduro's regime.

The thing is, these seizures just highlight how complex the situation is in Venezuela . The country's got a lot of corruption and organized crime groups running around, making it hard for authorities to keep track of what's going on. It's like trying to catch a bunch of slippery fish - you're not sure who's really involved or what they're up to.

I'm curious to see how this plays out in the long run . Will the US be able to disrupt these smuggling operations and help Venezuela's economy stabilize? Or will it just create more chaos and instability for the country? Only time will tell .

I'm kinda surprised this is still happening, feels like we've been hearing about these seizures for years now... Anyway, it's not like they're not doing their job, but it's just that the whole situation with Venezuela and its oil smuggling ops is so... complicated. And the fact that these tanker crews are always trying to stay one step ahead of the law is crazy . I guess what really gets me is how many people are affected by this stuff, you know? Not just the sailors on those tankers but also the communities in the US and other countries who get hurt when oil prices skyrocket because of all these smuggling operations . Anyway, not sure if anyone's gonna change anytime soon...

I'm so sick of these news outlets only posting the "big" seizures on their front pages . Like, what about all the other times the US Navy just gives these ships a warning or detains them for a few days? Do we really need to see some dramatic footage of soldiers boarding a ship every time something happens? It's just so sensationalized .

And can't they just give us some real info on how this is all working? Like, who's actually coordinating these operations and what's the strategy behind it? I'm not asking for super classified stuff, just some actual insight into what's going on. Is that too much to ask?

[Image of a cat trying to sneak through a maze, with a red "X" marked through it ]

[A sailor on a ship looks up at the sky, sees an eagle flying overhead, and thinks "oh no!" ]

[Illustration of a person trying to hold together a bunch of broken pieces, but they just keep falling apart ]

[Image of a pirate with a big smile, surrounded by treasure chests labeled "Oil Smuggling" ]

[A graph showing a snake slowly growing longer and longer, with the caption "Venezuela's oil smuggling operations continue to grow" ]

um i wonder how many more tankers they'll be able to catch what's the deal with these venezuelan-linked ships anyway? are they just getting lucky or is there a system in place to track them down? it seems like the US is trying to help but at the same time they're also kinda interfering with venezuela's economy i mean, what's the right approach here? should they just leave venezuela alone and let them sort out their own problems or keep applying pressure until they do something about the corruption? any thoughts on this one

come on, usa really needs to get serious about this oil smuggling thing i mean, Maduro's been dodging international law for years, how many more tankers gotta be seized before they crack down for good? meanwhile venezuela's just gonna keep losing revenue from all these illicit activities, its a lose-lose situation. and what about the impact on local economies? folks are already struggling, dont need oil money flooding outta the country to make things worse

OMG, this is so serious ! I'm like totally glad that the US is taking action against these oil smuggling rings it's not right that people are profiting off of Venezuela's crisis. The footage is crazy intense like what would you do in a situation like that? And omg the implications are so deep does this mean that more countries will start getting involved to help stop oil smuggling too?

man this is crazy like, how far has the US gone to crack down on this stuff? it's gotta be a big deal for them to be taking control of these ships... but at the same time i'm not sure if they're really making a dent in the problem. venezuela's got all these corruption and organized crime groups running around, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack what's the real goal here? is it just about stopping oil smuggling or is there something more going on that we don't know about?

Yaaas, just saw this lol , US Navy is on it again! Seizing another oil ship linked to Venezuela's gov , like they're trying to break the whole oil smuggling thing ... but honestly, with all the corruption and crime groups in Venezuela, it's gonna be a tough nut to crack . I mean, can't blame 'em for trying tho , US is definitely taking this serious . But let's see what happens next, maybe they'll finally get some results ... Fingers crossed!

"More seizures = more questions...who's really controlling these ships?"

this is getting outta hand ... can't these guys just leave Venezuela alone? they gotta keep poking at it like that, gonna cause more problems than solutions...

I'm not surprised, to be honest... These tanker seizures have been going on for years now and it's like the Maduro regime is just trying to keep up with the US. I mean, we all know how corrupt Venezuela has been and it's no wonder that some folks are getting in on the action.

I think this latest seizure will put more pressure on Venezuela to clean up its act, but at the same time, I'm not holding my breath. There's a lot of money on the line here and I think corruption runs deep in Maduro's inner circle. It's like they're trying to keep their noses out of trouble, but trouble follows them anyway .

It's also kinda weird that this operation is happening now, when there's so much global attention on climate change and sustainability... I mean, oil smuggling? That's like taking a step backwards, you know?

omg this is so suspicious what are they going to do with it tho i'm all about keeping our oceans safe but this seems like such a huge deal did u hear the one about the venezuela tanker that was seized last month? anyway gotta give props to the US for stepping up and taking action, hopefully they're able to get to the bottom of things