BREAKING! US special forces board tanker in North Atlantic

[Oldcarpy2]

A cheek to suggest "No Smoking."

Thats a 3 pack a day Oil Tanker if ever there was one. 

Perhaps Russia wanted it to convert into an aircraft carrier to replace their broken one?

[angelchemuel]

Thank you all for updating, appreciated.
So, no film footage?
No news on what the ship was transporting?
No comment from Russia or Venezuela of any significance?
No follow through statement from US or the UK who apparently helped on this mission?
Strange ...... very strange...
Rainbows
Jane

[DontTreadOnMe]

Thank you all for updating, appreciated.
So, no film footage?
No news on what the ship was transporting?
No comment from Russia or Venezuela of any significance?
No follow through statement from US or the UK who apparently helped on this mission?
Strange ...... very strange...
Rainbows
Jane

As far as I have heard, the cargo is oil.

[angelchemuel]

As far as I have heard, the cargo is oil.

So, the Icelandic coastguard were wrong then when they said it wasn't carrying oil. Interesting.
Rainbows
Jane

[FlyersFan]

So, the Icelandic coastguard were wrong then when they said it wasn't carrying oil. Interesting.
Rainbows
Jane

Were they wrong by accident ... or did they say what they wanted people to think?
Hmmmm ....

[DontTreadOnMe]

So, the Icelandic coastguard were wrong then when they said it wasn't carrying oil. Interesting.
Rainbows
Jane

The US has been shadowing that ship for two weeks or so.   
It changed names, they painted a Russian flag on the hull.

I cannot imagine Russian subs would protect an empty ship.
And what, besides drugs or oil does Venezuela have to sell?

[andy06shake]

As far as I have heard, the cargo is oil.

I thought it was reported to be empty when boarded.

[andy06shake]

The US has been shadowing that ship for two weeks or so.   
It changed names, they painted a Russian flag on the hull.

I cannot imagine Russian subs would protect an empty ship.
And what, besides drugs or oil does Venezuela have to sell?

Seems to make the reason for the raid even more mysterious.

If she was not carrying oil, then what was she ferrying around, and why board her now?

I suppose it could simply be because she evaded the naval blockade.

[Oldcarpy2]

I thought it was reported to be empty when boarded.

You can tell it was empty by looking at it.  Riding high in the water..

[angelchemuel]

The US has been shadowing that ship for two weeks or so.   
It changed names, they painted a Russian flag on the hull.

I cannot imagine Russian subs would protect an empty ship.
And what, besides drugs or oil does Venezuela have to sell?

A quick search tells me they have substantial reserves of uranium and thorium.
But Russia is up there with their reserves of uranium than Venezuela, Australia has the most. China has a more substantial reserve of thorium than Venezuela, India has the most. So, I guess that cancells those two commodities out as being on board.
@carpy, I lived on Anglesey, right on the coast where I could see the super tankers moored up at the Shell single buoy to discharge their oil. First, that picture of the ship could be an old one. Second, she could be only half full. Tankers sit much higher than that out of the water when they are empty. But then I only have the extperience at very close hand I have to say as I used to sea fish very close to them when they were anchored. They are frightenely huge at close quarters.
However, all that said, if she was empty, then why so much interest in her by the US?
@DTOM maybe the Russians played a double blind and just wanted to observe how the US would carry out the operation and sit to see if UK had a direct involvement, which they did.
Rainbows
Jane
PS, just heard on our news that the UK will now start shadowing Putin's surveilance fleet