Russian Tanker Idles Near Venezuela After Encounter with U.S. Warship
A Russian tanker, the Seahorse, is currently โขstalled in Caribbean waters after being repeatedly thwarted in attempts too deliver oil to Venezuela, according to a report by Bloomberg. The tanker’s path was initially disrupted on November 13 by a U.S.destroyer, the USS Stockdale, which positioned itself in front of the vessel โas it traveled toward the South American โnation.
The incident is unusual, as Russian oil tankers typically maintain consistent routes between Cuba and Venezuela. The Seahorse initially โคaltered course back to Cuba following โขthe encounter, then made two further attempts to reach โคVenezuela before ultimately remaining in a holding pattern.The U.S. Navy deployed the Stockdale and a dozen other warships to โthe Caribbean in late September as part of an anti-drug โขoperation announced by โPresident Donald Trump.
The Seahorse is subject to sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and the European Unionโฃ and is one of four โRussian ships delivering oilโข to Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest oil reservesโข but struggles โtoโข capitalize on them due to its economicโข and political challenges.The reason for the U.S. Navy’s intervention remains unclear, Bloomberg reported.
