Washington: Since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump’s confidence has reportedly been at its peak. He has begun issuing warnings even to allies, and taking on NATO no longer appears to be a major concern. Moreover, Trump has not missed any opportunity to display American power at sea. After taking control of a Russian tanker, the Trump administration has carried out action against yet another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea today. A video of the U.S. military’s “Operation Clean Sweep” conducted on this tanker has also emerged.
According to media reports, following action against Venezuela, Trump has effectively tightened control over the Caribbean Sea and is seizing oil tankers one after another. Recently, a fifth oil tanker was confiscated. The objective of these actions is to exercise complete control over the distribution of Venezuelan oil products. The seized tanker, named Olina, was allegedly attempting to flee with oil from Venezuela. The U.S. Coast Guard surrounded the vessel in international waters and took it into custody. According to Trump, these are ships that repeatedly change their identity, name, and flag to evade international sanctions. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has stated clearly that hiding behind a “fake nationality” will no longer be possible.
