"US forces on Saturday stopped a second merchant vessel off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, according to two US officials, the Associated Press reported. The move comes days after Donald Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in to and out of the South American country and follows the seizure by US forces of an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast on 10 December."
"The development comes as Trump and his advisers have refused to rule out the potential for open conflict with Venezuela as its country's president, Nicolas Maduro, has urged his navy to escort oil tankers, defying the largest US fleet deployed in the region in decades. In an interview broadcast on Friday morning, Trump told NBC News that going to war with Maduro's regime remains on the table. I don't rule it out, no, he said in a phone interview with the network."
"The US further ratcheted up pressure on Venezuela this week, accusing the country of taking US oil and saying the US lost out on investments in the country. You remember they took all of our energy rights, Trump said. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it they illegally took it. On Tuesday, the US president ordered a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela."
US forces stopped a second merchant vessel in international waters near Venezuela following an earlier seizure and a presidential blockade announcement. Two US officials spoke anonymously about the ongoing military operation. The administration accused Venezuela of taking US oil and losing US investments, and ordered a total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers. President Trump said going to war with Maduro's regime remains on the table while Maduro urged his navy to escort tankers. US forces conducted lethal strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels, increasing the campaign death toll to 99. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said the United Nations was nowhere to be seen and asked that it step up
Read at www.theguardian.com
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