Oil gains after US seizes another Venezuela-linked vessel

Brent crude’s price has felt some upward pressure following news that the US Department of War (DoW) has seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela.

IMAGE: Flags of the US and Venezuela. Getty Images

The DoW said in a statement that the oil tanker Aquila II was seized in the Indian Ocean, as it continues efforts to crack down Venezuela’s oil trade.

“The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President [Donald] Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed,” the DoW said. It also shared a video on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) showing army personnel seizing the vessel.

In January, the US Coast Guard (USCG) seized another oil tanker, Veronica, in the Caribbean Sea.

The move comes days after capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in Caracas.

In December, US President Donald Trump ordered a “complete and total” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of Venezuela.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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