US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela in the second interception in two weeks

The U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted and boarded a second tanker transporting Venezuelan oil, following Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that he was ordering a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. However, several reports indicate that the vessel was not on the U.S. sanctions list, raising concerns that this move signals a tightening or escalation of enforcement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a seven-minute video of the operation, showing U.S. helicopters landing on the deck of the Panamanian-flagged ship, which—like a tanker seized earlier this month—was reportedly bound for Asia. Simon Moritz reports.