According to a report, an emergency session of the u.n. security council was called to discuss the the u.s. seizure of oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela which the Venezuelan ambassador to the u.n. said was worse than piracy. Reportedly, the u.s. have also been carrying out strikes on 20 of what they claim to be drug smuggling boats, and the russian ambassador to the u.n. has accused them of illegally destroying civilian vessels. According to the report, Venezuela’s envoy to the u.n. accused the u.s. of operating outside international law saying Washington doesn’t have jurisdiction in the Carribean.
Reportedly, on 16 December the u.s. president ordered a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela and has sent 15,000 troops and a range of aircraft carriers and warships to the area, the stated aim, to stop the flow of cocaine and fentanyl to the u.s. According to the report, Venezuela’s envoy to the u.n. asked, What does the Venezuelan oil industry have to do with drugs?