On Saturday, the US Coast Guard boarded Centuries, a ship owned by a Hong Kong-based entity, the first non-sanctioned vessel to be targeted. A day later, it was chasing the Bella 1, en route to Venezuela to pick up crude.

Former National Security Council official Michael Allen evaluates the Trump administration’s plan regarding Venezuela as pressure ramps up on ‘The Story.’

The US government has struck a series of security deals with Latin American countries to deploy US soldiers to the region and access their airports. The deals come amid rising tensions between Washington and Venezuela.

Trump has accused Venezuela of flooding the U.S. with drugs, and his administration been bombing boats originating in South America. Many nations have condemned the attacks as extrajudicial killings.

Recent U.S. actions against ships near Venezuela may embolden other countries to seize or detain ships, legal experts said.

The move gives Washington additional options if it decides to carry out military operations in Venezuela — which President Trump has not ruled out as he’s already ordered a blockade of oil tankers

Venezuela’s state oil firm PDVSA is loading crude onto tankers and keeping them anchored offshore as floating storage, Reuters reports. The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s naval oil blockade and tanker seizures,