Venezuela to Free Seized Seismic Survey Ship

Venezuela has agreed to free a U.S.-chartered oil survey ship and 36 crew members seized last week in a territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, reports Reuters, citing the vessel's owner.

Venezuela accused the Teknik Perdana of violating its maritime territory, reviving a century-old dispute with Guyana, as the vessel carried out a seabed survey for Texas-based Anadarko in conjunction with Guyanese authorities, when Venezuela's navy boarded it on Thursday and escorted it to Margarita Island.

However, Reuters add that according to the Venezuela Public Prosecutor's Office the ship's Ukrainian captain, Igor Bekirov, had been charged at Margarita with failing to respect the boundaries of a security zone.