The Treasury said four oil tankers \u2014 Nord Star, Rosalind, Della and Valiant \u2014 had been blocked and that it was sanctioning the ships\u2019 owners and operators: Aries Global Investment, Corniola, Krape Myrtle and Winky International. <\/p>\n
The US state department said: \u201cThe Trump administration is committed to disrupting the network that props up Maduro and his illegitimate regime.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s announcement marked the White House\u2019s latest economic salvo at the Maduro regime. The US Coast Guard<\/a> has also seized or attempted to board at least three sanctioned oil tankers in the Caribbean in recent weeks. <\/p>\n Venezuela\u2019s oil exports had risen in recent months. The country, home to the world\u2019s largest oil deposit, ships crude to China and Cuba.<\/p>\n Washington has in recent weeks unveiled sanctions intended to squeeze Maduro\u2019s regime, and Trump earlier this month declared a \u201ctotal blockade\u201d on US-sanctioned oil tankers heading to and from Venezuela<\/a>. <\/p>\n The US president has not ruled out a military ground operation in Venezuela as part of his campaign to disable the country\u2019s alleged drugs-exporting operations and push Maduro to step down. <\/p>\n The efforts to choke off Venezuela\u2019s oil sector come as the US has built up a major naval presence in the Caribbean and launched a campaign of lethal strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs from South America to the US. <\/p>\n The US Southern Command, which oversees American military activity in Latin America and the Caribbean, on Wednesday said it had conducted \u201ckinetic strikes\u201d against three \u201cnarco-trafficking vessels\u201d on Tuesday. It said they were in international waters. <\/p>\n US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had authorised the strikes, Southcom said. Three \u201cnarco-terrorists\u201d were killed, it said, and a search and rescue operation was activated for others who abandoned the vessels. Southcom later said it had struck another two boats on Wednesday, killing five more people.<\/p>\n Maduro, who Washington has designated as the head of a \u201cforeign terrorist\u201d drug cartel, has described the US naval build-up in the Caribbean as a pretext for his ousting.<\/p>\n Recommended<\/p>\n
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