US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, in a major escalation of Donald Trump’s four-month pressure campaign against the South American country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro.

  • Mk23simp@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    5 months ago

    Huh, I wonder why they seized it instead of shooting it like the others? It couldn’t possibly be for the oil, right?

    • iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      I mean, I know what your point is, but can we actually just be thankful that they did not in fact blow up an oil tanker and spill all that into the sea?

      • Mk23simp@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        5 months ago

        When you put it like, that, that sounds like exactly what they’d want off the coast of Venezuela right now.

        • MrMakabar@slrpnk.net
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          5 months ago

          Venezuelas oil infrastructure is in such bad shape, that oil spills are pretty common. Lake Maracaibo has them on a regular bases.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I can think of a few reasons why the US Navy wouldn’t want to fire high explosives into a contain full of flammable materials, depending on the range of their artillery.

      Also definitely possible they’re just doing Privateer shit with Navy assets. I do wonder whether the vessel gets impounded or just escorted to a friendly port in El Salvador or Honduras and quietly re-flagged and titled.