James Lankford on US Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Tanker and Policy

US Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Tanker

• 🇺🇸 The US has seized a second oil vessel off the coast of Venezuela, a move discussed in the context of US policy towards the nation.
• 🚢 The seized ship was operating under a false flag and using fake GPS, indicating it was a sanctioned entity.

US Policy Towards Venezuela

• 🏛️ The US position, maintained for approximately six years, is that Maduro is not the recognized leader of Venezuela.
• 🤝 The US has historically supported opposition leaders in Venezuela.
• 🎯 While the immediate goal is not explicitly stated as regime change, the sentiment among the Venezuelan people is that they voted against Maduro and desire to choose their own leaders.

Rationale and Consequences

• 💡 The principle of "If you break it, you buy it" is invoked, referencing past interventions like in Libya, which resulted in a collapsed failed state.
• 🚫 The goal is to empower the people of Venezuela to control their own destiny and choose their leaders.
• 📈 Actions are also motivated by the need to stop the flow of cocaine coming into the United States from Venezuela and Colombia.
• 🌍 Venezuela is seen as destabilizing the entire Western Hemisphere.

Sanctions and Enforcement

• 🛢️ Oil from Venezuela has been under sanction, and President Biden had previously placed sanctions on the ship that was seized.
• ⚖️ While President Trump took action on similar issues, President Biden had not taken action on this specific sanctioned entity prior to the seizure.