U.S. Seizes Tanker Over 'Terror Ties,' Forgets Its Own Record
CBS News dutifully reported on the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela, citing its 'alleged ties to terrorist groups.' (Because nothing says maritime law like 'alleged' ties and a helicopter assault.) The report omits the extensive history of U.S. economic warfare against Venezuela, designed to destabilize the Maduro government since at least 2017, when the Treasury Department under Trump
began enacting sweeping sanctions. This isn't about 'terrorism'; it's about control over sovereign resources, a playbook the U.S. has run from Iran in '53 to Chile in '73, conveniently rebranded for modern audiences. One might wonder if the U.S. Treasury investigates the 'terrorist ties' of every nation it buys oil from, or if some national interests are simply more 'alleged' than others. Perhaps
the U.S. is just really, really concerned about unchecked global oil shipments upsetting the sanctity of... well, their own energy market dominance. It's almost as if 'terrorism' is a flexible legal framework that only applies when it's politically convenient to seize assets from nations that don't tow the U.S. line.