The administration of US President Donald Trump has intensified its campaign of pressure on Venezuela's oil exports, imposing sanctions on companies based in Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as related oil tankers, which it accused of evading sanctions. This was reported by Bloomberg, informs UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control added four companies associated with Venezuela's oil industry - Corniola Ltd. from Zhejiang and Aries Global Investment Ltd. from Hong Kong, Krape Myrtle Co and Winky International Ltd. - to its list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. It also imposed sanctions on four vessels associated with these firms: Della, Nord Star, Rosalind, and Valiant.
The US already has a list of vessels and companies under sanctions for their ties to Venezuela's oil trade. But attacks on Chinese firms doing business there are rare and could be a signal to Beijing to avoid confrontation between the Trump administration and the Nicolas Maduro regime. China is the largest customer of Venezuela's oil exports, which account for about 95% of Venezuela's revenue.
According to the US Treasury, these vessels, some of which are part of a shadow fleet serving Venezuela, continue to provide financial resources that "fuel the illegal drug-terrorist Maduro regime."
The Maduro regime is increasingly relying on a shadow fleet of vessels around the world to facilitate sanctionable activities, including sanctions evasion, and to generate revenue for its destabilizing operations.
The US Treasury added that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime is increasingly relying on a shadow fleet of vessels to circumvent sanctions and generate revenue "for its destabilizing operations."
Context
On December 21, the United States detained a third oil tanker near Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sanctioned the release of 99 participants in the 2024 anti-government protests after Donald Trump intensified the naval blockade and called for the country's leader to resign.
Venezuela began shutting down oil wells due to US blockade - Bloomberg30.12.25, 23:59 • [views_9674]