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Trump Clamps Down on Venezuelan Oil, Approves Only US Tankers

The White House has announced President Trump has ordered strict controls on Venezuelan oil shipments, permitting only US-approved tankers to operate. Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt stated unauthorized or "stateless" vessels will continue to be seized by US authorities. She revealed the administration's engagement with Venezuelan interim authorities is centered on energy cooperation and regional stability. Leavitt also noted a recent meeting between the President and senior oil executives at the White House to discuss energy deals.

Key Points: US Tightens Venezuela Oil Shipment Controls, Seizes Vessels

  • Strict US controls on Venezuelan oil shipments
  • Only US-approved tankers allowed to operate
  • Unauthorized vessels face seizure
  • Engagement focused on energy cooperation and stability
  • Oil executives met at White House for energy deals
2 min read

White House defends Venezuela energy clampdown

White House enforces strict oversight on Venezuelan energy exports, warning only approved tankers can operate as it seizes unauthorized ships.

"The President's made it very clear that we don't want to see any more jug boats sailing from Venezuela towards the United States of America - Caroline Leavitt"

Washington, Jan 13

The White House said that President Donald Trump has ordered strict controls on Venezuelan oil shipments, warning that only US-approved tankers will be allowed to operate and that unauthorized vessels will continue to be seized.

Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said the President has made his position clear following recent engagements with Venezuelan interim authorities and US energy executives.

"The President's made it very clear that we don't want to see any more jug boats sailing from Venezuela towards the United States of America, which we have not, frankly, in the last week," Leavitt said.

She added that Washington is enforcing firm oversight on energy exports.

"The President's also made it very clear that only oil tankers that are approved by the United States of America will be flowing from Venezuela," she said.

Leavitt said vessels operating outside those parameters face enforcement action.

"And we will continue to seize ships that are stateless or that are not approved for commerce," she said.

The press secretary said the administration's engagement with Venezuela's interim authorities is currently centered on energy cooperation and regional stability.

"The main correspondence with the interim authorities is really focused on obviously ensuring stability and prosperity and continued cooperation with respect to energy," she said.

She noted that senior oil executives recently met with the President at the White House.

"There was a very powerful and big group of oil executives who were here at the White House on Friday," Leavitt said, adding that discussions are ongoing to "iron out some of these energy deals."

Leavitt also referenced President Trump's frequent consultations with his top foreign policy team.

"The President meets with the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor daily, sometimes multiple times a day," she said.

In a separate briefing, Leavitt said the administration believes it made the correct call in its Venezuela strategy.

"I think the last week has shown that the President made the right realistic assessment of what needed to take place in Venezuela at this moment in time," she said.

She said interim authorities, including Belsey Rodriguez and her team, have been "very cooperative with the United States."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting to see how this impacts global oil prices. For a country like India, which imports a lot of oil, any disruption in supply from major producers like Venezuela can have a ripple effect. Hope our government is watching this closely and diversifying our sources.
R
Rohit P
"Only US-approved tankers will be allowed"... sounds like the classic "might is right" policy. While the internal politics of Venezuela is complex, such unilateral actions set a dangerous precedent. The international community should have a say in such matters, not just one superpower.
S
Sarah B
From a purely strategic standpoint, controlling energy exports is a powerful tool. But the article mentions "interim authorities". Recognising and dealing with unelected interim governments is itself a controversial move. The US should be more cautious about legitimising such setups.
V
Vikram M
Daily meetings with the Secretary of State and NSA? Seems like they are micromanaging this issue heavily. Hope this focus doesn't come at the cost of other global hotspots that also need attention. The world is bigger than just one country's energy interests.
K
Kavya N
The common people of Venezuela will suffer the most from these sanctions and seizures. It's always the citizens who bear the brunt of these geopolitical games. We've seen similar situations affect innocent populations elsewhere. Very sad. 🙏

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