<p>Washington: The United States is handing over to Venezuela a tanker that it seized this month, two US officials told <em>Reuters</em> on Wednesday.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/united-states">United States </a>has been carrying out a months-long effort to seize oil tankers linked to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/venezuela">Venezuela </a>- carrying out seven apprehensions since late last year.</p><p>The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, identified the vessel being handed over to Venezuelan authorities as the Panama-flagged supertanker M/T Sophia. They did not say why the tanker was returned.</p><p>The US Coast Guard, which leads interdiction and seizure operations, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>.US has taken oil from seized Venezuelan tankers, Trump tells NY Post.<p>The Venezuelan communications ministry, which handles all press queries for the government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><p>The Sophia was carrying oil when it was interdicted on January 7 by the Coast Guard and US military forces. At the time, the administration said the Sophia, which is under sanctions, was a "stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker."</p><p>One of the sources did not know if the Sophia still had oil on board.</p><p>Trump has focused his foreign policy in Latin America on Venezuela, initially aiming to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. After failing to find a diplomatic solution, Trump ordered US forces to fly into the country to grab him and his wife in a daring overnight raid on January 3.</p><p>Since then, Trump has said the US plans to control Venezuela's oil resources indefinitely as it seeks to rebuild the country's dilapidated oil industry in a $100 billion plan.</p><p>Earlier this months, the Sophia and another seized tanker were seen near Puerto Rico.</p><p>Along with most tankers under Western sanctions or part of the so-called shadow fleet, many of the Venezuela-linked tankers seized were built over 20 years ago and pose hazards to shipping because they lack safety certification and adequate insurance, experts said.</p><p>That means that if they have a collision or oil spill, establishing insurance claims or liability is very difficult to impossible, shipping and insurance industry sources said.</p><p>Dubai-run GMS has applied for a US license to buy and scrap ships seized by the US government linked to Venezuelan oil trading.</p>
<p>Washington: The United States is handing over to Venezuela a tanker that it seized this month, two US officials told <em>Reuters</em> on Wednesday.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/united-states">United States </a>has been carrying out a months-long effort to seize oil tankers linked to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/venezuela">Venezuela </a>- carrying out seven apprehensions since late last year.</p><p>The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, identified the vessel being handed over to Venezuelan authorities as the Panama-flagged supertanker M/T Sophia. They did not say why the tanker was returned.</p><p>The US Coast Guard, which leads interdiction and seizure operations, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>.US has taken oil from seized Venezuelan tankers, Trump tells NY Post.<p>The Venezuelan communications ministry, which handles all press queries for the government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><p>The Sophia was carrying oil when it was interdicted on January 7 by the Coast Guard and US military forces. At the time, the administration said the Sophia, which is under sanctions, was a "stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker."</p><p>One of the sources did not know if the Sophia still had oil on board.</p><p>Trump has focused his foreign policy in Latin America on Venezuela, initially aiming to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. After failing to find a diplomatic solution, Trump ordered US forces to fly into the country to grab him and his wife in a daring overnight raid on January 3.</p><p>Since then, Trump has said the US plans to control Venezuela's oil resources indefinitely as it seeks to rebuild the country's dilapidated oil industry in a $100 billion plan.</p><p>Earlier this months, the Sophia and another seized tanker were seen near Puerto Rico.</p><p>Along with most tankers under Western sanctions or part of the so-called shadow fleet, many of the Venezuela-linked tankers seized were built over 20 years ago and pose hazards to shipping because they lack safety certification and adequate insurance, experts said.</p><p>That means that if they have a collision or oil spill, establishing insurance claims or liability is very difficult to impossible, shipping and insurance industry sources said.</p><p>Dubai-run GMS has applied for a US license to buy and scrap ships seized by the US government linked to Venezuelan oil trading.</p>