"Venezuela's government in a statement Saturday characterized the U.S. forces' actions as "criminal" and vowed to not let them "go unpunished" by pursuing various legal avenues, including by filing complaints with the United Nations Security Council. "The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically denounces and rejects the theft and hijacking of another private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as the enforced disappearance of its crew, perpetrated by United States military personnel in international waters," according to the statement."
""The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region," Noem wrote on X. "We will find you, and we will stop you.""
"The action was a "consented boarding," with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing U.S. forces to board it, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity."
U.S. Coast Guard personnel, assisted by the Defense Department, stopped a crude oil tanker last docked in Venezuela and posted an unclassified video showing a helicopter landing personnel on a vessel called Centuries. The tanker flew Panama's flag and was recently spotted near the Venezuelan coast, though it was not immediately clear whether U.S. sanctions applied. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the United States will pursue illicit movement of sanctioned oil used to fund narco-terrorism. U.S. officials described the boarding as consented. Venezuela denounced the action as criminal and vowed legal responses, including U.N. complaints.
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