U.S. Coast Guard pursuing oil tanker it accuses
The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government.
The pursuit of the tanker, which was confirmed by a U.S. official briefed on the operation, comes after the administration announced on Saturday it had seized a tanker for the second time in less than two weeks.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the ongoing operation and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Sunday's pursuit involved "a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion."
The official said the vessel was flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.
The coast guard's pursuit of the tanker was first reported by Reuters.
What's President Donald Trump's endgame with repeated U.S. strikes on boats near Venezuela? Andrew Chang breaks down the threats the Trump administration says it's reacting to and why Venezuela's relationship with China may also be a factor. Images provided by Getty Images, The Canadian Press and Reuters.