Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Washington, December 12 (Xinhua) — The United States intends to retain the oil from the tanker that U.S. forces seized Wednesday off the coast of oil-rich Venezuela, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said Thursday.
Several media outlets reported Thursday that the Donald Trump administration may take similar actions against oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela in the coming weeks. Kate Leavitt declined to answer questions about the White House's next steps.
The seized tanker is heading to a US port and is currently undergoing confiscation proceedings, she noted at a press briefing at the White House.
"The United States does intend to confiscate the oil. However, there is a legal procedure for confiscation, and this procedure will be followed," she said.
Speaking about the seized vessel, K. Leavitt said: “This vessel is part of the ‘shadow fleet’, it was transporting illegal oil for the IRGC /Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/, which, as you know, is under sanctions.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is concerned about the escalation of tensions between the United States and Venezuela, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN chief. "We call on all parties to refrain from actions that could further escalate bilateral tensions and destabilize Venezuela and the region," he said at a daily briefing.
As a reminder, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean Sea for nearly four months, primarily off the coast of Venezuela, ostensibly to combat drug trafficking. Caracas, for its part, condemned Washington's statement as a thinly veiled attempt to achieve regime change in the South American country.
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