The Venezuelan government has filed a complaint with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) over the assault on an oil tanker by United States forces in the Caribbean Sea, an act it says constitutes a violation of freedom of commerce and navigation.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, acting under the directives of President Nicolás Maduro, stated from La Guaira that she held a phone conversation yesterday with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez to report and formally document this serious incident.

Rodríguez described the event as “a blatant act of theft” and argued that it exposes the true motivations behind the ongoing aggression against Venezuela.

“The real truth is that they want our oil, and they want it without paying for it,” she said, rejecting the justifications put forth by the U.S. government, such as alleged efforts against drug trafficking or concerns related to human rights and democracy.

Rodríguez further stated that the operation now appears to be an attempt to disrupt commercial and economic activities in the Caribbean and even to steal Venezuela’s natural resources.

The military deployment in the area includes destroyers, nuclear submarines, and the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, which she characterized as “disproportionate, exorbitant, and exaggerated.”

Under these circumstances, Venezuela has formally requested that the IMO activate all channels and procedures established under international agreements to safeguard freedom of navigation and free maritime trade.

The vice president stressed that the objective of the United States’ illegal action is “to undermine the country’s maritime oil trade.” She added, “Venezuela is doing what must be done, which is to appeal to the law, to international legality, and to defend our natural resources.”

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Venezuelan government asserted that U.S. military forces assaulted the vessel, adding that this incident comes on top of the seizure of Citgo, the company that—through what Caracas calls deceptive judicial proceedings—was taken from the nation.