US pursuing third oil tanker near Venezuela, reports say

The United States is pursuing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, according to multiple reports, just a day after the Coast Guard seized a different tanker in the same waters amid a rapid U.S. military buildup in the region.

If seized, it would mark the third U.S. interception of an oil tanker in less than two weeks. An official told Reuters on Dec. 21 the tanker was under sanctions, and it had not been boarded so far. Officials did not give a specific location for the operation or name the vessel being pursued, according to Reuters. Bloomberg was among the first to report on the operation.

The pursuit of the tanker comes less than a week after President Donald Trump ordered a "blockade" of all sanctioned ships from entering and leaving Venezuela, further pressuring the oil-rich nation's economy. Trump announced the move in a Dec. 16 post on Truth Social, also saying he formally designated Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his government allies of a foreign terrorist organization.

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