For it to be a blockade runner, there would need to be a blockade.
Are we blockading Venezuela? That would generally be considered an act of war.
Are we blockading Venezuela? That would generally be considered an act of war.
The vessel is registered in Guyana so I guess they can complain if they think the seizure was illegitimate.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:41...
“Sanctions” imposed by one country on another limiting its trade with third countries are (if force is used to effect them) a (limited) blockade and absolutely an act of war.
> "The government of Guyana — which borders Venezuela — said in a statement Wednesday the ship was falsely flying the Guyanese flag, despite not being registered in the South American country"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-we-know-oil-tanker-the-ski...
(Context reminder: Guyana is the country Venezuela's Maduro threatened to invade in 2023).
(Also context: the sanctions on this ship's Russian owner date from 2022, and are about violating US sanctions on Iranian oil).
It feels a little sketchy to force countries to deregister ships in order to seize them, but they could have flown Venezuela's flag instead of taking the risk of being stateless instead.