Venezuela’s New Leader Enlists U.S. Troops to Bring a Rogue Ship Back

Following a recent change in leadership in Venezuela, interim leader Delcy Rodríguez enlisted the help of the U.S. military to retrieve an oil tanker that left the country without authorization. The tanker, carrying approximately half a million barrels of oil, departed from a port in eastern Venezuela without the permission of port authorities or the state oil company, PDVSA. PDVSA stated that it had not been paid for the crude oil and that the U.S. government assisted in the tanker's return. The oil is allegedly linked to Alex Saab, a businessman previously indicted by the U.S. on money laundering charges, although Saab denies these claims. This marks the first publicly known instance of military cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela since Nicolás Maduro's removal from power.

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