U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker in Sanctions Enforcement Move

U.S. authorities have seized an oil tanker that last loaded cargo from Venezuela. The vessel, the *M/T Achilleas*, was taken near the Gulf of Mexico. The action is part of U.S. sanctions enforcement. These sanctions aim to limit the revenue of the Venezuelan government under President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela's oil ministry condemned the seizure. Officials called it an illegal "theft and kidnapping" of the cargo. The ministry stated that such "acts will not go unpunished," but did not give details. The tanker's crude oil was sold by Venezuela's state-owned company, PDVSA. U.S. sanctions prohibit most transactions with PDVSA. The *Achilleas* is now sailing toward Houston, Texas, according to ship-tracking data. The U.S. Department of Justice has not yet made a public statement on the operation.