US Boards Tanker Number Three En Route to Venezuela

[Leo123]

Eventually, what goes around, comes around.

Yep, the world came around because the U.S. finally has a leader who isn’t Marxist or senile.

 

[White 6]

You still did not answer the question. Have you ever shot at a moving target from another moving platform and completely disregarded the accuracy of your shots? How about an aircraft because that's the only thing that will keep up with these boats. I realize that ground pounders never face anything running father than a Taliban with his ass on fire, but give it a shot!

I know this is hard, but you really need to slow down and think about what you are saying. What's coming out is garbage!

I was very good from moving jeep with pedestal mount m-60 and I did practice shooting at some moving targets. Most of my moving engagement were with M60A3 tanks, both main gun and coax, at which I was among the best back in the day. Of course that is with laser ranging, ballistic computer superelevation and a turret fully stabilized for moving variance of vertical, horizontal, cant, wind and temperature. So, yep. Deadly accurate, moving or stationary, even from the TC hatch, much less the gunner's station. Last Table VIII, my crew and I got an 896 out of possible 900. We were one of the top 4 crews in the battalion, and the only Company Commander in the battalion in the final shoot off competition. I was also the only Company Commander to field 14 full crews in 14 separate fully operational tanks, all qualifying first round, and that is day and night fire, stationary and moving, all weapons. Which means I was a demon, not only on gunnery training, but attention to maintenance management. The M60A3 also mounts the M48 .50 cal at the TC hatch. It is ok for stationary, but not so good for moving or moving targets, as it is not linked to ballistic computer, not stabilized and is control by two handles to hand crank in azimuth and elevation, so not an effective weapon for firing on the move at moving targets.

 

[odanny]

Yep, the world came around because the U.S. finally has a leader who isn’t Marxist or senile.

In 2000, Saddam Hussein did something very few people paid attention to.
He announced Iraq would start selling oil in euros, not U.S. dollars.
Three years later, the United States invaded Iraq.
No weapons of mass destruction were ever found.
But something else happened quietly.
Iraqi oil went right back to being priced in dollars.
Most people call that a coincidence.
I call it a lesson.

In 2009, Muammar Gaddafi proposed something even more dangerous.
A gold-backed African currency — the gold dinar.
It would have allowed African nations to buy oil without using dollars.
In 2011, NATO intervened in Libya for “humanitarian reasons.”
Gaddafi was killed.
The gold dinar disappeared.
Libyan oil? Back to dollars.
Another coincidence.
I’m noticing a pattern.
Go back further.

In 1971, President Nixon took the U.S. dollar off the gold standard.
The dollar was no longer backed by gold — only a promise.
By all historical logic, the dollar should have collapsed.
It didn’t.
Why?

Because three years later, Henry Kissinger cut a deal with Saudi Arabia.
The deal was simple:
Sell oil only in U.S. dollars, and the U.S. military will protect the regime.

From that moment on, every country on earth needed dollars to buy energy.
That wasn’t free-market economics.
That was force-backed monetary policy.
Or, more honestly, a protection racket.
And it works — as long as the military can enforce it.
Watch what happens when countries challenge it.
Russia demands rubles for natural gas?
Sanctions. Escalation.
Syria discusses pipelines priced outside the dollar system?
Civil war intensifies. Pipeline never happens.
Iran tries to sell oil outside the dollar?
Decades of sanctions.

I’m not saying these are good governments or bad governments.
I’m saying watch what happens when anyone threatens the petrodollar system.
Once you see it, the pattern isn’t subtle.
SWIFT is not a neutral payment system.
It’s a weapon.
Get cut off from SWIFT, and you’re locked out of global trade.

Russia.
Iran.
Cuba.
Venezuela.
Different politics. Same outcome.

They don’t teach this in school because it’s uncomfortable.
We don’t send 18-year-olds to die for “freedom.”
We send them to protect reserve currency status.

Currency funds the military.
The military protects the currency.
That’s how empires work.
Britain learned this the hard way.
The British pound was the world’s reserve currency for nearly 200 years.

After World War II, Britain lost reserve status.
Within two decades, the British Empire collapsed.
Same cycle.
Dutch guilder.
British pound.
Now the U.S. dollar.

Ray Dalio has been warning about this for years.

Late-stage empire looks like this:
• Military overextension
• Rising debt
• Currency weakening
• Rivals building alternatives

China’s Belt and Road isn’t charity.

It’s about creating debt relationships denominated in yuan.
BRICS aren’t talking about alternatives because they’re friends.
They’re building an exit ramp from dollar dependence.
When the dollar loses reserve status — not if, when — the ability to print money without consequences disappears.

• Then the military contracts.
• Then the empire ends.
• You can call this cynical.

I call it financial history

Every war in my lifetime had a currency angle — if you knew where to look.
“Freedom and democracy” is the marketing.
The actual policy documents talk about
“maintaining dollar liquidity in global energy markets.”
I’m not anti-military.
I’m anti-bullshit.
If we’re sending people to fight…
We should at least be honest about why.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I was very good from moving jeep with pedestal mount m-60 and I did practice shooting at some moving targets. Most of my moving engagement were with M60A3 tanks, both main gun and coax, at which I was among the best back in the day. Of course that is with laser ranging, ballistic computer superelevation and a turret fully stabilized for moving variance of vertical, horizontal, cant, wind and temperature. So, yep. Deadly accurate, moving or stationary, even from the TC hatch, much less the gunner's station. Last Table VIII, my crew and I got an 896 out of possible 900. We were one of the top 4 crews in the battalion, and the only Company Commander in the battalion in the final shoot off competition. I was also the only Company Commander to field 14 full crews in 14 separate fully operational tanks, all qualifying first round, and that is day and night fire, stationary and moving, all weapons. Which means I was a demon, not only on gunnery training, but attention to maintenance management. The M60A3 also mounts the M48 .50 cal at the TC hatch. It is ok for stationary, but not so good for moving or moving targets, as it is not linked to ballistic computer, not stabilized and is control by two handles to hand crank in azimuth and elevation, so not an effective weapon for firing on the move at moving targets.

Spare us the war stories, grandpa. You still did not answer the question.

How is a drone or helicopter going to force a boat to stop? You keep avoiding the question and we all know why. You don't have a ******* answer now that you painted yourself into a corner.

 

[White 6]

The tanker was going to load oil we stopped it. What's the beef?

Depends of what you hear, read and believe.
British maritime risk management company Vanguard said the vessel was believed to be the Panama-flagged Centuries, which was intercepted east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea.
Jeremy Paner, a partner at Washington, D.C., law firm Hughes Hubbard and a former OFAC investigator, said the vessel has not been sanctioned by the U.S.
"The seizure of a vessel that is not sanctioned by the U.S. marks a further increase in Trump’s pressure on Venezuela," Paner said. "It also runs counter to Trump’s statement that the U.S. would impose a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers."
While many vessels picking up oil in Venezuela are under sanctions, others transporting the country's oil and crude from Iran and Russia have not been sanctioned, and some companies, particularly the U.S.' Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab, transport Venezuelan oil in their own authorized ships.
Centuries, which loaded in Venezuela under the false name "Crag" and is part of the dark fleet, was carrying some 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude oil bound for China, according to internal documents from state oil company PDVSA, the oil's seller.

 

[Zavulon]

I'm sorry, which rebellious colonies (besides the 13 American colonies) did Britain blockade? Because Russia was in no way involved with that, or any other British/UK blockade listed on Wikipedia.

They tried to do so, but the "First League of Armed Neutrality" prevented it.

First League of Armed Neutrality

The First League of Armed Neutrality was a coalition of neutral European maritime powers formed in 1780 to defend their shipping rights against British Royal Navy interference during the American War of Independence. Initiated by Russian Empress Catherine II through a declaration on March 10...

grokipedia.com

List of blockades - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If we went in to take out Maduro, he'd last about 24 hours. He might flee into the jungle, but it's not like we need to do another Iraq. Machado would eagerly step in and we'd withdraw. But Maduro won't do shit. He's a kleptocratic authoritarian monster but he's not crazy.

And if it is safer (and much more profitable) for him to fight against the USA (and use WMD) - he will fight.

Ghost fleets fall outside of international law.

Of course not. It is absolutely legal. Those are just ships without British/American insurance.

This is our way of making sure China doesn't try to use it's rare earth monopoly to dominate the world.

And they do what is necessary to not allow the USA to dominate the world. Anyway, establishing naval blockade is an act of war and seizing a ship under a flag of your ally makes your much lesser trustworthy.

 

[Eman623]

They tried to do so, but the "First League of Armed Neutrality" prevented it.

First League of Armed Neutrality

The First League of Armed Neutrality was a coalition of neutral European maritime powers formed in 1780 to defend their shipping rights against British Royal Navy interference during the American War of Independence. Initiated by Russian Empress Catherine II through a declaration on March 10...

grokipedia.com

That is interesting I did not know about that.

And if it is safer (and much more profitable) for him to fight against the USA (and use WMD) - he will fight.

Venezuela has WMDs? Or do you mean Russia and China? They aren't going to start WWIII to protect Maduro.

Of course not. It is absolutely legal. Those are just ships without British/American insurance.

Not if they are misflagged to countries that the are not registered to.

And they do what is necessary to not allow the USA to dominate the world. Anyway, establishing naval blockade is an act of war and seizing a ship under a flag of your ally makes your much lesser trustworthy.

America is not looking to dominate the world. And no one is going to go to war with the US to protect Maduro.

 

[Zavulon]

That is interesting I did not know about that.

Yep. That's Americacentric picture of the world. "The brave freedom loving colonists fighting against oppression and discrimination" and all other bullocks. In Russiacentric picture of world American Revolutionary War was just one of episodes on one of the theaters of the Big Game between Russian and British Empires. And this game was (and still is) only one of games, Russia is playing to survive.

Venezuela has WMDs?

Yes, of course.

Or do you mean Russia and China? They aren't going to start WWIII to protect Maduro.

But they can invest in Maduro same (or even bigger) amount of resources than Europe and USA invested in Zelenskiy.

Not if they are misflagged to countries that the are not registered to.

Only if you have reasons to believe that this is in fact American ship. If Chinese ship has Panama's flag - it is only business between China and Panama.

America is not looking to dominate the world. And no one is going to go to war with the US to protect Maduro.

But they can go to war (at least to proxy-war) to protect freedom of navigation. It is vital for all sea-trading countries.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Depends of what you hear, read and believe.
British maritime risk management company Vanguard said the vessel was believed to be the Panama-flagged Centuries, which was intercepted east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea.
Jeremy Paner, a partner at Washington, D.C., law firm Hughes Hubbard and a former OFAC investigator, said the vessel has not been sanctioned by the U.S.
"The seizure of a vessel that is not sanctioned by the U.S. marks a further increase in Trump’s pressure on Venezuela," Paner said. "It also runs counter to Trump’s statement that the U.S. would impose a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers."
While many vessels picking up oil in Venezuela are under sanctions, others transporting the country's oil and crude from Iran and Russia have not been sanctioned, and some companies, particularly the U.S.' Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab, transport Venezuelan oil in their own authorized ships.
Centuries, which loaded in Venezuela under the false name "Crag" and is part of the dark fleet, was carrying some 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude oil bound for China, according to internal documents from state oil company PDVSA, the oil's seller.

There is a lot of conflicting information about this third tanker, whether it has been seized or not.

 

[fncceo]

Arrrrh!

 

[Eman623]

Yep. That's Americacentric picture of the world. "The brave freedom loving colonists fighting against oppression and discrimination" and all other bullocks. In Russiacentric picture of world American Revolutionary War was just one of episodes on one of the theaters of the Big Game between Russian and British Empires. And this game was (and still is) only one of games, Russia is playing to survive.

They are doing a lousy job of it. The Russian people will be a few tens of millions at best by the century's end. They will be a minority in their own country - at which point their country will like be shattered into a few dozen ethnic states.

Yes, of course.

Yeah, you're going to need to provide some evidence of this.

But they can invest in Maduro same (or even bigger) amount of resources than Europe and USA invested in Zelenskiy.

LOL. "invest in Maduro?" Good luck on getting a return on that investment. The US will have Maduro hiding in a jungle and the oil revenues flowing to Machado in a week.

Only if you have reasons to believe that this is in fact American ship. If Chinese ship has Panama's flag - it is only business between China and Panama.

If a ghost ship flies a Belgian flag but is not registered in Belgium, then it has no legitimacy and is fair game.

But they can go to war (at least to proxy-war) to protect freedom of navigation. It is vital for all sea-trading countries.

America will protect its friends freedom of navigation.

As for the rest of the world, if you are a continental power like Russia or China, well sux to be you. Watch out for those Somali pirates, and tread lightly in the Western Hemisphere.

 

[Nuthin' Fancy]

Not exactly true.

I am going to type this slowly so your TDS-brain rot might allow comprehension.

How do you board a speedboat going 40 knots in open water? Please explain and I'll make sure to forward it to the Navy.

Just ask the Coast Guard.

Did you know if a vessel attempts to run from the Coast Guard, they are allowed to fire to disable and stop the vessel?

No shit.

The Coast Guard is part of Homeland Security and is not considered part of the military unless it is wartime. Before DHS, they were part of the Transportation Department.

 

[Zavulon]

They are doing a lousy job of it. The Russian people will be a few tens of millions at best by the century's end. They will be a minority in their own country - at which point their country will like be shattered into a few dozen ethnic states.

It mostly depends on your defintion of "being Russian". My mom was an Ukrainian, my dad was a Jew, but I'm a Russian. May be, your own grandchildren will be Russian, too.

Yeah, you're going to need to provide some evidence of this.

No. You have a lot of special people who suppose to search for WMD, especially in potential victims of American aggression. If they don't work - many American people will die for that reason.
And don't forget common sense. If Rubio wants to destroy Trump - who am I to prevent it? More America moored in Venezuela, less America involved in Eastern Hemisphere business.

LOL. "invest in Maduro?" Good luck on getting a return on that investment. The US will have Maduro hiding in a jungle and the oil revenues flowing to Machado in a week.

For Russia and China it is not about oil, as well as for America Ukraine is not about rare earths, amber and watermelons.

If a ghost ship flies a Belgian flag but is not registered in Belgium, then it has no legitimacy and is fair game.

No. If a ship flies a Belgian flag, and US military ship has reasonable doubts about it, she has right to stop it, ask it and may be even search it. But, after realising that this ship, is, in fact, Chinese or Iranian ship (and it is neither pirate nor slave-trader), all what they can do, is take their leaves and go, saying "Thank you for your patience and accept our deep excuses."

America will protect its friends freedom of navigation.

Really? We'll see.

As for the rest of the world, if you are a continental power like Russia or China, well sux to be you. Watch out for those Somali pirates, and tread lightly in the Western Hemisphere.

Of course no. At the very least they'll write their own sanction lists and they will arrest every US -flagged or US owned ship in Eastern Hemisphere. And then you say goodbye to global trade and American wealth.

 

[Nuthin' Fancy]

Taking names and kicking ass.

So why isn't your dear leader doing the same with his buddy, Putin?

Russian vessels using false flags to transport billions worth ...​

Global Trade Review (GTR)
https://www.gtreview.com › news › global › russian-ves...
Nov 27, 2025 — Over 100 Russian “shadow vessels” transporting €4.7bn worth of oil were spotted flying false flags to bypass sanctions in the first three first three quarters of 2025, a report has found.


In September 2025, there were 90 Russian shadow vessels using unauthorised flags, a six-fold increase from December 2024,

 

[Deadstick]

You still did not answer the question. Have you ever shot at a moving target from another moving platform and completely disregarded the accuracy of your shots? How about an aircraft because that's the only thing that will keep up with these boats. I realize that ground pounders never face anything running father than a Taliban with his ass on fire, but give it a shot!

I know this is hard, but you really need to slow down and think about what you are saying. What's coming out is garbage!

Can they outrun an Apache chopper?

 

[Norm Paperman]

The US is now the 21st century version of the Barbary Pirates.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

So much for the "the US wants their oil" narrative.

She's running empty.

It's very telling that up until now sanctions just meant "we are upset that this ship is doing bad things but we aren't going to do anything about it"....That's over.

Were they unloading cocaine and Fentanyl?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

It might make Trump feel good, but the reality is that the rest of the world just thinks we're a bully. What other country does this?

Pretty much every other country

 

[Mr Natural]

Free oil!

 

[Norm Paperman]

It might make Trump feel good, but the reality is that the rest of the world just thinks we're a bully. What other country does this?

If any other country did what the US is doing the US would attack them