INTERNACIONAL
Inside the sea war to contain ‘dark fleet’ vessels — and what the US seizure signals to Russia
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The U.S. seizure of the tanker formerly known as Bella I marks a rare escalation in sanctions enforcement against Russia’s so-called «dark fleet,» but experts say the move is unlikely to trigger a broader confrontation with Moscow, at least in the near term.
Analysts largely agree that the interdiction — one of the most direct U.S. actions against a vessel Russia claims was operating under its flag — comes at a moment when the Kremlin has limited appetite for escalation outside Europe and is focused primarily on its war against neighboring Ukraine.
«This is unique,» said Brent Sadler, senior research fellow at the Washington conservative Heritage Foundation think tank.
The U.S. rarely boards foreign-flagged vessels on the high seas unless the ship’s nationality is in doubt, which he said was the case here due to rapid reflagging and a pattern of sanctions violations.
TREASURY TARGETS OIL TRADERS, TANKERS ACCUSED OF HELPING MADURO EVADE U.S. SANCTIONS
Peter Rough, a senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute think tank, said that the seizure of the tanker reinforces the message that the U.S. is aiming to «call the shots in its own backyard.» Meanwhile, he said that Russia is bogged down fighting its war against Ukraine, meaning it will be challenging for it to engage in a significant way in Latin America.
Likewise, Russia is also attempting to curry favor with the Trump administration for a favorable outcome in a peace deal ending the conflict with Ukraine, he said.
The Coast Guard has seized an oil tanker allegedly linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic. (U.S. European Command)
«The Donroe Doctrine,» as President Donald Trump has called it, fashions the 1823 Monroe Doctrine warning against European expansion into Latin America after himself.
The empty vessel was seized in international waters during an operation overseen by U.S. European Command. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia dispatched a submarine to escort the tanker after the U.S. attempted to seize it off Venezuela, heightening the risk of a naval standoff between two nuclear-armed states.
‘GHOST SHIPS’ FERRYING ILLICIT OIL HAVE SAILED INTO TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS
Russia has operated a so-called «shadow fleet» of oil tankers for years to evade sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Wednesday’s seizure marks one of the most direct U.S. enforcement actions to date against a vessel tied to that network.
«There’s really not a whole lot of cards the Russians have to play at this point,» Sadler said, anticipating a muted response.
Analysts largely agree that the interdiction comes at a moment when the Kremlin has limited appetite for escalation outside Europe and is focused primarily on its war against neighboring Ukraine. (Ramil Sitdikov/Pool/Reuters )
US AND UKRAINE TARGET 1,000-VESSEL ‘DARK FLEET’ SMUGGLING SANCTIONED OIL WORLDWIDE
Rough also noted that similar actions like the one on Wednesday have not triggered major escalation previously. In October, French authorities boarded and detained a Russia-linked tanker suspected of being part of the shadow fleet off the coast of France without sparking a new crisis.
In that instance, the tanker was not a Russian-flagged vessel.
«The upshot is that in light of the administration’s determination to dictate terms on Venezuela-related issues like this and Putin’s desire to work with Trump on what matters most to the Kremlin — Ukraine — I’m inclined to say that Moscow’s response will consist mostly of protesting this action and lodging political and legal complaints,» Rough said in an email to Fox News Digital. «I don’t think it will lead to a full-blown political crisis in U.S.-Russian relations.»
John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also predicted the seizure of the Bella I tanker wouldn’t dramatically impact relations between Washington and Moscow.
«I suspect Moscow reacted the way it did because it worries about a precedent that could lead to U.S. interdiction of tankers moving Russian oil,» Hardie said. «That said, I don’t think the Bella incident alone will have significant impact on relations between the Trump administration and Moscow or the peace talks.»
The empty vessel was seized in international waters during an operation overseen by U.S. European Command. (Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images)
US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK
Russia has accused U.S. naval forces of illegally boarding the vessel — which had been reflagged as the Merinera under temporary Russian authorization Dec. 24 — arguing the action violated international maritime law. U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the legal justification for the seizure.
While Moscow’s response has so far been limited to diplomatic and legal objections, the incident has drawn attention because of how unusual the operation was.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ defense and security department, said that there are hundreds of sanctioned oil ships in the sea — with at least 100 of them belonging to Russia. If the U.S. started targeting more tankers, that would have a «huge» impact on countries like Russia and Iran, he said.
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«The one tanker will be an annoyance to Russia, and they’ll complain,» Cancian told Fox News Digital Wednesday. «I think the bigger issue is whether we or other countries, start going after other tankers with sanctioned oil.»
venezuelan political crisis,russia,conflicts defense
INTERNACIONAL
El Gobierno de Bolivia reemplazó al presidente de YPFB y anunció medidas ante la crisis por combustible de baja calidad
El Gobierno del presidente boliviano, Rodrigo Paz, resolvió este lunes relevar al presidente de la estatal Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), Yussef Akly, y designar en su lugar a Claudia Cronenbold, en medio de una creciente crisis por la calidad del combustible que se comercializa en el país y tras protestas de transportistas en las principales ciudades.
El mandatario tomó juramento a Cronenbold en un acto en La Paz, poco después de que el ministro de Hidrocarburos y Energías, Mauricio Medinaceli, comunicó el cambio en la conducción de la empresa estatal junto con un paquete de medidas orientadas a garantizar el abastecimiento de carburantes y responder a los reclamos de usuarios afectados. Paz agradeció a Akly por su labor en esta “primera etapa” desde el cambio de Gobierno en noviembre pasado y destacó la trayectoria de su sucesora. “Por apostar por el país como siempre lo ha hecho en su carrera profesional”, expresó al dirigirse a la nueva titular de la compañía.
El jefe de Estado afirmó que la designación marca el inicio de “un segundo tiempo para YPFB” con nuevos objetivos estratégicos. Entre ellos, mencionó la aspiración de que Bolivia produzca su propia gasolina y que la empresa recupere su papel como una compañía “pujante”. En ese marco, remarcó la necesidad de enfrentar irregularidades dentro de la estatal. “Estaremos firmes para respaldar toda la lucha que sabemos va a ser muy dura contra la corrupción que hay en la estatal, para recuperar una empresa estatal para los bolivianos y que deje de ser una empresa de unos cuantos grupos de poder”, sostuvo.
Por su parte, Cronenbold expresó su compromiso al asumir el cargo y subrayó la relevancia de la empresa dentro del esquema energético del país. “Total compromiso y dedicación” para hacer “un buen papel en una empresa estratégica y muy importante”, declaró. La funcionaria se convierte en la segunda mujer en liderar YPFB, después de la designación de Katya Diederich en octubre de 2020 durante el Gobierno interino de Jeanine Áñez.
Antes del acto, el ministro Medinaceli destacó ante la prensa la experiencia de más de dos décadas de Cronenbold en el sector y la definió como un “ejemplo de liderazgo femenino en una industria estratégica”. Además del cambio en la conducción, el funcionario anunció una serie de decisiones orientadas a resolver la crisis por la calidad del combustible.
Entre las principales medidas, Medinaceli informó que el Gobierno firmará nuevos contratos “y con más variados proveedores de gasolina de mayor octanaje sin modificar el precio”. También indicó que la Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (ANH) organizará un cronograma de limpieza de tanques en todas las estaciones de servicio del país, con el objetivo de garantizar el abastecimiento continuo. Según explicó, el plan se ejecutará mediante un calendario “que garantice el abastecimiento sin suspenderlo en ninguna zona del país”.
El ministro agregó que se “acelerará” el resarcimiento estatal a los propietarios de vehículos que denunciaron daños en sus motores por el uso de combustible contaminado. Asimismo, anunció que se impulsará la instalación de equipos de conversión a gas natural vehicular (GNV) tanto en el transporte público como en el privado, con el fin de reducir la dependencia de combustibles líquidos.
El paquete incluye además la aprobación de un decreto que habilita la importación de vehículos que funcionan con diésel “de menos de 4.000 de cilindrada”, así como la creación de un “equipo de supervisión permanente de hidrocarburos” para reforzar los controles sobre la cadena de suministro.
Las decisiones del Ejecutivo se producen tras meses de denuncias de usuarios que reportaron fallas mecánicas vinculadas a la calidad de la gasolina. De acuerdo con la propia YPFB, el combustible presentó niveles elevados de goma y manganeso. La situación generó protestas en distintos puntos del país.
La semana pasada, sindicatos de transportistas de La Paz y El Alto realizaron un paro con bloqueos durante dos días, en reclamo por la calidad del carburante y para exigir una compensación más ágil por los daños sufridos. Las manifestaciones intensificaron la presión sobre el Gobierno para adoptar medidas inmediatas.
Según datos oficiales, Bolivia depende en gran medida de las importaciones para abastecer su mercado interno, con casi el 100 % del diésel y alrededor del 60 % de la gasolina provenientes de países como Argentina, Chile, Perú, Paraguay y Estados Unidos. En ese contexto, el Gobierno busca estabilizar el suministro y recuperar la confianza de los consumidores tras la crisis.
(Con información de EFE)
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MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rahm Emanuel is shrugging off the Democratic Party’s identity debate and emphasizing that the showdown for the Democrats’ 2028 presidential nomination should be about ideas and not gender.
The former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama is mulling a White House run of his own in 2028 in the race to succeed term-limited Republican President Donald Trump. But in a party that has made diversity one of its core tenets, Emanuel will have to face the question: will the Democratic Party elect a straight White male to represent it?
Emanuel told Fox News Digital on Monday that Democrats should be asking potential presidential contenders different questions entirely, such as: «Do you have the ideas of how to make sure the American Dream is alive and well, accessible and affordable to another generation?»
POTENTIAL 2028 DEMOCRATIC CONTENDER PROPOSES 75-YEAR-OLD MANDATORY RETIREMENT FOR POLITICIANS
Former First Lady Michelle Obama lamented in a podcast late last year that the U.S. is not ready for a female president. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty)
In the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat to Trump in the 2024 election, former First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines late last year when she emphasized in a conversation posted on YouTube that the U.S. has «a lot of growing up to do» and that the nation is «not ready for a woman» as president.
And former President Joe Biden, in an interview last year on «The View,» argued that Harris lost to Trump because of sexism and racism.
Harris was the second female Democratic presidential nominee to come up short to Trump, following Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 election.
That’s got some in the Democratic Party suggesting that in order to recapture the White House in 2028, it might be better for the party to nominate a White male as their standard-bearer.
WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028
While Democrats take pride in their party’s diversity, an Axios article this past weekend, headlined «Some Dems’ 2028 strategy: a straight, White, Christian man,» included quotes from party operatives and strategists suggesting that parts of the American electorate are too biased to back a female or other diverse presidential candidate.
Emanuel disagrees.
«More important is the voters’ take. They’ll make a decision. And so to me, that’s the wrong thing. The question is, do you have the ideas that address the challenges that are facing America, regardless of who’s speaking it,» he said.
Former U.S. ambassador Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor who previous served as White House chief of staff in then-President Barack Obama’s administration and a former U.S. House member, speaks at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, on March 30, 2026, in Manchester, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
Emanuel spoke with Fox News and other news organizations after headlining «Politics and Eggs,» a speaking series at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics that’s a must stop for White House hopefuls visiting the which for a century has held the first presidential primary in the White House race. And hours earlier, on Sunday evening, he was the main attraction at the latest «Stand Up New Hampshire» town hall hosted by top Democratic activists.
Emanuel has been crisscrossing the country in recent months, as he considers a presidential bid, including stops in two other crucial early primary states, Nevada and South Carolina, where he heads later this week.
On whether he’d become a presidential candidate, Emanuel said «if I think I have what it takes to answer what I think is ailing this great country, then I will jump into the deep end without my water wings.»
Emanuel, who hails from the more moderate center-left wing of the party, emphasized that in order to win in 2028, Democrats need to «centralize and ground ourselves in middle class values, tough enforcement at the border, put more police on the beat, and get kids, guns and gangs off the street, and invest in education opportunities.»
«Get to the core of what they expect from us and don’t get caught up in some cultural cul-de-sac that leads nowhere,» he added.
Potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender Rahm Emanuel greets audience members at ‘Politics and Eggs,’ a speaking series at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, on March 30, 2026, in Manchester. N.H. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
As Democrats look for a fighter in 2028 to win back the White House, Emanuel is showing off his scrappy side.
«These are tough times that require a tough leader that knows how to do tough things and get them done on behalf of the American people. That’s the measure,» he told Fox News Digital.
And Emanuel also repeatedly took aim at Trump and his administration for their handling of the president’s efforts to acquire Greenland and the month-long strikes against Iran.
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«It’s a war of choice, and it’s a bad choice,» Emanuel said of Trump. «He could have gotten everything he wanted without going to war.»
And taking another shot, he said, «If they ever run a sequel to ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ I have recommendations for the lead roles, and there’s lots of competition in this administration.»
democratic party, democrats elections, kamala harris, michelle obama, presidential primaries, new hampshire
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