Trump: US detained sanctions-busting Russian tanker, begins offloading oil

President Donald Trump said the United States has seized a Russian oil tanker in the North Atlantic and has already begun unloading its cargo.

Speaking during a discussion that touched on Venezuela and recent related developments, Trump referred to the interception of a Russian vessel that he said had been travelling with an escort of Russian ships, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

He indicated that the accompanying vessels did not intervene, allowing US forces to take control of the tanker.

Trump said the US was taking possession of oil worth billions of dollars, adding that the value could ultimately reach hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars.

He also announced that, on January 9, the White House would host a meeting with major oil companies planning to invest at least $100 million in Venezuela’s oil sector.

On January 7, US military forces detained the Russian vessel Bella 1, now renamed Marinera, in the North Atlantic. US authorities said the ship was seized for violating American sanctions.

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said it has not received any official information confirming the detention of Georgian citizens who may have been part of the crew of the tanker Marinera, which was seized by the United States earlier this week.

According to reports circulating in open sources, six Georgian nationals were on board the vessel, including the ship’s captain, alongside 20 Ukrainian citizens and two Russian nationals.

By Aghakazim Guliyev