The US Coast Guard is conducting an “active search” for another shipwreck in international waters near Venezuela as tensions continue to rise in the region.
US authorities have already seized two oil tankers this month – one of them on Saturday.
A US official told BBC affiliate CBS News that the discovery on Sunday was related to a sanctioned Dark Fleet vessel, which is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions regime. “It is flying a false flag and is under judicial seizure order.”
Washington has accused Venezuela of using oil money to finance drug-related crime, while Venezuela has described the tanker’s seizure as “theft and kidnapping”.
US President Donald Trump last week ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country.
Venezuela – home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves – has accused the Trump administration of trying to steal its resources.
The exact location and name of the tanker involved remain unknown, and US officials have not yet officially confirmed Sunday’s discovery.
As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or en route to the country were under the U.S. Data compiled by TankerTrackers.com confirms the presence of sanctions on more than 30 ships in Venezuelan waters or en route to the country.
A special tactical team boarded a Panama-flagged tanker in international waters during Saturday’s seizure.
The ship is not on the US Treasury’s list.
The ship is not on the US Treasury’s list of sanctioned vessels, but the US says it is carrying “approved PDVSA oil.” The ship also operated under the flags of Greece and Liberia over the past five years, according to records seen by BBC Verify.
The Venezuelan government said in response to Saturday’s incident, “These acts will not go unpunished.” It said it intended to file a complaint with the UN Security Council and “other multilateral agencies and governments around the world”.
Venezuela is highly dependent on revenues from its oil exports to finance its government expenditures.
Recently, the US has built up its military presence in the Caribbean Sea and launched deadly attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boats, killing nearly 100 people.
Sanctions were also imposed on some of President Maduro’s relatives and businesses linked to him over what the US calls his illegitimate regime.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday, “It is clear that the current status quo with the Venezuelan regime is intolerable for the United States.”
He said the Trump administration aims to change that dynamic.
His comments were criticised by Venezuela’s foreign minister, who accused Rubio of trying to drag the US down the path of “regime change”.
It has provided no public evidence that the ships were carrying drugs, and the military has come under increasing congressional scrutiny over the attacks.
The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a designated terrorist organisation called Cartel de los Soles, which he denies.
