NewsNation National Correspondent Robert Sherman has found himself on the frontlines of some of the world’s biggest stories: from Ukraine to Israel and across the United States. He shares what he’s seeing on the ground. Subscribe to his newsletter: Frontlines with Robert Sherman here.
(NewsNation) — Good morning from Puerto Rico!
The big day has arrived. My first book, “Lessons from the Front,” just released and is out now!
It took years to get here, and countless hours writing and editing on airplanes, but the day has finally arrived. I can’t thank all of you enough for your support.
We’re off to a tremendous start. Amazon and Barnes and Noble have already sold out, and I couldn’t be more grateful. For those hoping to add the project to their holiday plans, Bloomsbury still has some initial stock. That right now is likely the best place to order in the short term.
And on this special day, one more piece of news to share: Variety broke the story today, but my international coverage is here to stay and will go full time in the new year. If you happen to be in Rome (or wherever breaking news happens), look me up!
Now, onto what we’re following.
U.S. seizes Venezuelan tanker
The news President Trump announced Wednesday that the United States had seized a sanctioned tanker off of Venezuela’s coast is a big one.
Attorney General Pam Bondi shared the footage first of a mix of American forces and law enforcement flying to the ship by helicopter, boarding, and taking the ship into custody.
The move is highly significant and viewed as the latest upping of the ante by the administration.
Currently, the ship is being moved to an undisclosed location.
Why it matters
Oil is big business for Venezuela. The country holds roughly 17% of global proven oil reserves — about 300 billion barrels. Over 80% goes to China.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil, which have hampered the country financially. They, like other countries such as Iran and Russia, employ a “shadow fleet” of tankers to move the oil and evade sanctions.
You may recall some of our reporting from the Baltic Sea, where Russia used its so-called “Shadow Fleet” to evade U.S. sanctions. I went more in-depth for this piece in The Hill, showing how far nations will go.
In this case, the ship was flagged under Guyana, but the country says this was done illegally.
“The Maritime Administration Department has observed the proliferation and unacceptable trend of the unauthorised use of the Guyana flag by vessels that are not registered in Guyana,” the agency said in a statement.
So the U.S. is hitting Venezuela where it hurts.
What’s next?
The president says all options are on the table, and is prepared to keep upping the pressure on Nicolas Maduro.
Notably, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado was asked about the incident and said, “These criminal groups have to be stopped, and cutting the sources of illegal activities is a very necessary step to take.”
Asked about the possibility of a U.S. invasion of Venezuela, she responded, “Venezuela has already been occupied by forces from totalitarian regimes such as Russia, Iran, Cuba, and criminal groups such as Hezbollah. That’s why we are certainly asking the world to act. It’s not a matter of statements, as you say, it’s a matter of actions.”
Around the globe, some of Venezuela’s allies have denounced the move, including Russia. The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and assured the Venezuelan leader he has Russia’s support.
Things are moving quickly here. Will update again soon.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.