Tankers with Venezuelan oil began to accompany the Venezuelan Navy. This happened after Donald Trump announced a blockade of oil exports from the country. However, according to The New York Times, so far we are talking about escorting vessels that are not under United States sanctions.
"Nicolas Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, ordered his fleet to escort ships with oil products, risking a collision with The United States is on the high seas, ignoring President Trump's statement about the "blockade" of the country's oil industry," the American edition writes.
Sources told The New York Times that several tankers departed from Venezuela to Asia with a Venezuelan naval escort.
The day before, US President Donald Trump announced the oil blockade of Venezuela.
"I am ordering a complete and comprehensive blockade of all sub-sanctioned oil tankers following in Venezuela and from Venezuela," he wrote on the Truth Social network.
As The New York Times notes, the tankers accompanied by the Venezuelan fleet are not under sanctions. Thus, in theory, the blockade does not apply to them.
Nevertheless, according to the publication, the likelihood of an armed conflict has increased dramatically.
"Ever since Mr. Trump launched a campaign of pressure on Venezuela, including deadly strikes on boats that legal experts widely recognize as illegal, Mr. Maduro has refrained from a forceful response. But now he is close to it, as Mr. Trump seeks to deplete the country's oil revenues — the lifeblood of the Venezuelan economy by blocking part of the tanker traffic and withdrawing oil," writes The New York Times.
According to the newspaper, three tankers accompanied by the Venezuelan Navy are transporting urea, petroleum coke and other petroleum products.
The state-owned company PDVSA said yesterday that the tankers associated with its operations continue to sail "in complete safety, with technical support and operational guarantees in the legitimate exercise of their right to free navigation."
In TankerTrackers.com It is estimated that 40% or almost 180 tankers carrying Venezuelan oil in recent years have fallen under US sanctions.
China provides 80% of oil sales from Venezuela.
"What Mr. Trump is doing now goes beyond nonviolent sanctions and economic pressure against Venezuela. As soon as you set up a naval blockade, you are just two steps away from using force," said Edward Fishman, a former State Department sanctions specialist.
The day before, the US Coast Guard and special forces seized the sub-sanctioned tanker Skipper, carrying almost two million barrels of Venezuelan oil.
"This step provoked the fury of Mr. Maduro, who promised to support oil exports at any cost," The New York Times reports, citing sources.
The publication notes that there is a growing suspicion in Latin American countries that Donald Trump is trying to provoke Maduro into actions that would give rise to an expansion of US military operations — perhaps even war.
"Trump assumes that Maduro will simply give up. But there is an alternative scenario: tankers get escorts, and now we have to fight to detain them," said Congressman Adam Smith.
According to The New York Times, American officials are considering another possibility: to turn off the tanker's power plant, while operators will have to ensure that no oil spill occurs.