Posted on 09/07/2012 12:42:10 AM PDT by Petruchio
Venezuelan authorities have arrested the American captain of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship after finding three rifles on board, according to a crew member of the vessel and a U.S. embassy official.
Local officials, the crew member said, suspect the vessel of arms trafficking and on Wednesday held crew members, under armed guard, at the rear of the ship while other officials interrogated the captain. The captain, the crew member added, was then arrested and taken from the ship.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Gadzooks! Good thing they didn't look... in my closet!
They'd have... hung me on the spot!
But they'ed have been talking... about how hard I tried to stop them!
You believe Obama... will do anything about this?
No, not enough undocumented Venezuelan votes... to make it worth his while--
This is s trumped up ruse.
They want a reason to confiscate the cargo or the ship or to extort some money from the ship’s owners.
The Rifles were not being smuggled in.
They were openly listed on the ship’s manifest.
Probably carried for defense against pirates.
Doesn’t Chavez have an election coming up?
obama will not lift a bony finger
Obama, Clintoon, or whoever should demand the immediate release of these American citizens, with apology.
***crickets***
Chavez election
jumbo shrimp
rap music
Sounds to me like they have been taking lessons from the us government.
Before you go to war, first disarm the ones you are going to war with, disarm the American people.
Whatever it takes, the US must be compromised that better assures a 'win' for zero.
Yup ... tin foil IS firmly in place.
More like the port authorities thought they could get a little payoff. There has been increased pirate activity off the N.E. coast toward Trinidad over the past 5-6 years but they usually go after yachts sailing alone, not in convoy.
In years past, the Marines would be sent in.
From the halls of Cesar Chavez
To the shores of Hollywood
I will fight our country's battles
With a driver and a wood
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep my pinkies clean
I am proud to claim the title
Of my country's Mr. Bean
Leni
Remember the Mayaguez!
i am not a customs nor a weapons expert, but I did spend a 3 years at sea while in the Navy, wouldnt most ships have rifles on them just for the sole purpose of shooting lines across or protecting sailors from sharks in a “man-overboard” scenario?
The largest cartels of black market arms dealers now use Venezuela as the home port and use Chavez’s banking system to launder their money, as reported widely by human rights and antigun trafficking NOGs.
This is a purely political stunt.
More specifically, Chavez (ab)used the power of the state to sell US$3.6B in bonds specifically purposed to buy firearms and munitions from Russia and Belarus, with the arms being intended for the South American black market so Chavez can arm and control FARC and other terrorist organizations on the continent.
http://interamericansecuritywatch.com/venezuela-bond-deals-point-to-arms-buying/
The article did not specify a caliber. All it said was there were 3 long guns, listed on the ship manifest as ship equipment, and were stored in a locked cabinet. The listed purpose was for security in hazardous waters.
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