An oil tanker seized by the US off Venezuela's coast on Wednesday was falsely carrying the Guyana flag, Guyana's maritime agency Marad said.
The very large crude carrier Skipper is part of "the proliferation of an unacceptable trend of the unauthorized use of the Guyana Flag by vessels that are not registered in Guyana," Marad said.
The ship was seized as a large US naval force remains stationed offshore Venezuela that Washington said is intended to stop drug shipments. Venezuela has protested against the naval presence, saying is intended to topple the administration of president Nicolas Maduro, and called the seizure of the ship "an act of international piracy."
The US told Marad it encountered Skipper, which has gone by other names and has been used in moving sanctioned Iranian crude, in international waters, Marad said.
The ship appeared to be destined for Cuba before the seizure, but since then has been moving slowly to the northwest and is showing a destination of Georgetown, Guyana.
Marad said it will continue to work with other organizations and governments to identify and take action against unauthorized use of the Guyana flag.
