I'm John Baxter, and I'm joined by my colleague Anatole Levin of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft,

writing most recently for the Quincy Institute about a speculation and a fact,

the seizure of vessels at the sea in the sea by the U.S. Navy for whatever explanation.

Right now, the explanation has to do with Venezuela and the

so-called shadow fleet. However, we have news that complicates the matter right now.

Anatole, a very good evening to you. Within these last hours, the Secretary of Homeland Security,

Christian O.M., has made an announcement on true social, I believe, the social media

that the Coast Guard had boarded the motor tanker Veronica.

Ms. Noem said the ship had previously passed through Venezuela waters and was operating in

defiance of President Trump's order established quarantine of sanctioned

vessels in the Caribbean. U.S. Southern Command said the Coast Guard was working in conjunction

with USS Gerald Ford, which is the supercarrier in the neighborhood. I mentioned all this

because the AP story goes on to say that the sea ship is owned by a Russian firm

and it has been known as Galileo, clearly a shadow fleet member. Is this a challenge to the

Kremlin, as you have written in your most recent article that the Kremlin is paying great attention

to the seizing of ships. Good evening to you. Hello, John. Well, in itself, it isn't,

well, it is a challenge, but it's not one, I think, to which the Russians will respond,

because they've already made clear that they are not going to help Venezuela

against America and they are not going to protect Venezuelan cargoes, even if they are

under Russian flag in Russian flag ships. The real danger is if the British and Europeans

take this as a precedent and justification to start seizing ships with Russian cargoes, whether of the shadow fleet or under Russian flags.

Because that would actually threaten Russia with what amounts to a maritime

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