US confiscates Iranian fuel from Venezuela-bound tankers

Washington, Aug 15 (IANS) The US has confiscated Iranian fuel from four tankers bound for Venezuela, the Department of Justice confirmed (DoJ).In a statement on Friday, the DoJ said that the US government had confiscated the cargo from all four vessels, which were Luna, Pandi, Bering and Bella, totalling to approximately 1.116 million barrels of petroleum, reports Xinhua news agency."With the assistance of foreign partners, this seized property is now in US custody," the statement added, without providing further details.It noted that the seizure marks the US government's largest-ever seizure of fuel shipments from Iran.Citing US officials, The Wall Street Journal said in a report that the four tankers were seized at sea in recent days and are now en route to Houston.The officials expected the seizure would deter shipping companies from dealing with Iran and Venezuela.The US in June designated five Iranian tanker captains who helped transport Iranian gasoline to Venezuela.
--IANS ksk/