The US may seize more than 30 tankers off Venezuela after capturing the supertanker Skipper
More than thirty oil tankers in Venezuelan waters linked to sanctions schemes may be the next targets of US action. This became known after the US military seized the supertanker Skipper, which was transporting Venezuelan oil as part of the so-called shadow fleet. This was reported by The Public with reference to Reuters. According to industry sources, many shipowners are already reviewing their plans and may quickly leave the region to avoid the risk of detention.
Experts note that targeting cargoes of Venezuelan origin will lead to export delays and may deter companies working with sanctioned oil.
On Wednesday, there were more than eighty tankers off the coast of Venezuela, more than thirty of which are on the US sanctions list. The global shadow fleet includes more than 1,400 vessels, of which more than 900 are under US, UK and EU sanctions.
Venezuela responded by calling the US actions piracy. According to analysts, the tanker Skipper is part of a fleet that transports oil to Asian countries, often concealing its location or changing the names of ships. Previous restrictions have already led to months of downtime for ships in the country's ports.It should be recalled that earlier, US troops took full control of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil near the country's coast, which caused oil prices to rise and heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas.
