News media and politicians are howling in alarm over the U.S. government’s supposedly dangerous and shocking seizure of “a Venezuelan oil tanker.”
But it’s not a a Venezuelan oil tanker, though it was carrying Venezuelan oil. It’s a stateless oil tanker, flying the flag of Guyana but apparently not registered with Guyana.
Stateless vessels are subject to seizure, and are seized. Legal definitions and discussion here.
The seizure of a stateless oil tanker is not shocking, not an unusual act of aggression, and not something that only the administration of Mean Orange Hitler would be likely to do. Resist the panic.